


A New Generation

by PotentiallyHarmful



Series: Meet the Ancestors [2]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-08
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-18 02:48:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 144,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/874790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotentiallyHarmful/pseuds/PotentiallyHarmful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>third and possibly final part for the whole storyline.<br/>1. Highblood vs highblood<br/>2. Meet the ancestors<br/>3. A New Generation</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

LAST TIME.

ACT 2

Finally. FINALLY after a long agonizing traumatizing twenty minute long walk, they come to... a giant slanted rock. There are two white wands stuck in the ground in an X.

"W-what is... that?..." Aradia stares for a second. The Handmaid's wands.

"S-S0me0ne, please pick t-th0se up f0r me." Nepeta is quick and slithers carefully through everyone and goes under Equius' and Aradia's legs and gets up to the wands. She picks them up and a giant black hole suddenly opens up on the giant rock in front of them. It swirls red and flashes other colors...

"Handmaid... S-she used the la-last 0f her p0wers t-t0 make us a way 0ut..."

"THAT'S WHY SHE LEFT..." Karkat remembers when she left him and Eridan there because she trusted them. She was probably setting all of this up in the mean time, waiting for the chance!... The chance to let some worthless fucking kids escape to who knows where...

Nepeta looks back at Aradia with her big green eyes...

"G0 in... We're g-g0ing. Every0ne p-please g0 first... I can't h-h0ld this f0r any l0nger..." The others try as carefully as they can to slip by Aradia and Equius and look at the portal... They go in order...

Nepeta. Karkat. Vriska. Kanaya. Terezi. Tavros. Feferi. Eridan.

Equius looks down at Aradia.

"Are you ready?"

"I've been ready... f0r twenty minutes y0u d0rk..."

"Right then."

"Carefully..." Equius QUICKLY turns around... The water tunnel wobbles a little, but it stays up... He backs up slowly with her and into the portal.

The water tunnel disappears and collapses on itself.

()

()

Everyone finally comes from the other end of the swirling black and purple portal and the warm air hits everyone in their faces and on their bloody skin. It's a soft breeze.

"Wow it smells great here!... Look! WOW!" She runs forward into a giant field of small red purple and white flowers growing out of a hard cracked desert ground... Karkat looks at them all and forward. It's flowers farther than the eye can see. The sky is a strange blue color... It looks like the human Earth's sky, clouds floating by as pure white as anything can get.

"WOW. UH... WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE?"

"W3LL K4RK4T 1F 1 H4D TO GU3SS, 1'D S4Y W3'R3 1N 4 H4LF W4Y WORLD. JUST 4 GU3SS THOUGH."

"A HALF WAY WORLD HUH?... WHY DO YOU SAY HALF WAY?"

"1 DUNNO. 1T JUST F33LS L1K3 W3'R3... NOT QU1T3 4NYWH3R3 R1GHT NOW."

"Not anywhere? Terezi I think you've lost it."

"SHUT UP VR1SK4." Vriska rolls her eyes and looks at the others behind her. Kanaya is wiping some blood dripping over her eye from her head and onto the Dolorosa's outfit that turns out is actually way too big on her, Dolorosa having been so tall. Tavros is just letting go of Eridan and Feferi's arms to go check on Aradia. Who falls over...

"Aradia!" Equius picks her up quickly and holds her close as softly as he can.

"I'm...0kay. I just need... a little rest is all. D0n't w0rry ab0ut me." Her eyes stay closed and she just rests and relaxes in Equius' hold.

"iS SHE OKAY?"

"Yes... she appears to be alright, however she used all of her energy to save us... Just as her ancestor did I suppose."

"sO... sO ALL OF THEM... tHEY'RE ALL... REALLY GONE?"

"Yes... I am afraid so... They're all gone." Tavros looks down and bites his lip with his sharp teeth, drawing a little bit of muddy orange blood. Feferi comes over to him and puts a hand on his shoulder. He turns to her and puts his hands over his eyes and begins to cry quietly. She holds him and rests her head on his. Eridan peeks over and just... folds his arms. He can't believe any of this. Dualscar... He's gone... The one and only person who got him... who is him... The only one who talked to him like a normal person and gave him some sort of at least partially close relationship... He's gone... and now any support he had is gone... Eridan takes off his broken glasses and stares at them... Dualscar didn't have glasses... He sighs and throws them to the side, being worthless now. Everything is extremely blurry and he has to squint to even sort of see something... He looks up at the blur and mixture of purple red and white and... something darker? A big blob of dark.

"Hey, wwhat's that?" Everyone looks over at him and then over to what he's pointing.

Off to the side there's a large hive with a storage holding unit...

"Th-those weren't there a second ago were they?" Feferi looks over at it with the others, Tavros wiping his eyes hard.

"iS... THAT A HIVE?"

"It Appears To Be So... Should We Go And Investigate It?" Kanaya turns to Feferi and Eridan and notices something about the purple sea dweller at the same time that the seadwellers notice something about her.

"Hey! You're eyes ain't wwhite anymore!"

"Yours Aren't Either!"

"SAY WHAT NOW GUYS?" Karkat turns to face them and Tavros points at Karkat!

"yOU'RE EYES ARE BACK TO NORMAL TOO!"

"WHAT THE FUCK? LIKE HOW NORMAL? NORMAL HOW?"

"Like... Normal Like We Are Alive Karkat."

"WHOA! NORMAL... ALIVE? THERE'S NO WAY." Vriska goes over to Aradia quickly.

"Open your eyes Megido." Aradia tiredly opens her eyes...

"How the hell is this possi8le? Aradia's alive too!" They all just look at each other rather confused...

"Do you think... the others did this for us?"

"DID WHAT NEPETA?"

Nepeta turns to Karkat quickly and throws her arms in the air!

"I mean, do you think when they died for real real they maybe gave us their life force?"

"Imp0ssible..." Nepeta swings her head to Aradia.

"Why is it impawssible?!"

"0ne can n0t give a life f0rce that they d0n't have... They didn't have any life f0rce t0 give."

"W3LL M4YB3 1T W4S /YOUR/ 4NC3STOR 4R4D14. 1 M34N, SH3 W4S 4 W1TCH 4FT3R 4LL R1GHT?"

"It c0uld be that... But I h0nestly d0n't think even she c0uld bring s0me0ne back t0 life... let al0ne f0ur of us."

"dO YOU THINK MAYBE GAMZEE..." Kanaya looks over at Tavros and frowns a little...

"Tavros, We're Not Even Sure Where Gamzee Is. Or If He Escaped That World..." Tavros just looks down at his feet and bites the inside of his lip sadly. But Kanaya holds out her bloody hand out for him.

"Come, Let's Go Inside And See If We Can Find Anything Useful In There."

"W)(at if someone lives t)(ere? We can't just..."

"If someone lives there we will simply ask if we may come in." Equius turns and faces the group with Aradia resting in his arms still.

"OR WE'LL KICK THEM THE FUCK OUT AND TAKE OVER THE PLACE, WE'VE GOT NUMBERS."

"OH K4RK4T JUST R3L4X. COM3 ON GUYS." She walks forward towards the black licorice scent. Feferi watches after her and... frowns a little. She's still really sad about Redglare... Dang it...

"Terezi!" She runs up to Terezi and takes her hand in her own and rubs their cheeks together to cheer her up. Terezi smiles a little in her direction as a small thanks and keeps walking. Everyone soon follows with their own thoughts weighing down their minds...

After about thirty feet they all get to the front door of the place. Karkat walks up and knocks loudly on it.

"HEY CAN WE COME IN!?"

"K4RK4T R34LLY TH4T'S RUD3!"

"THEY CAN DEAL WITH IT." No one answers... so Karkat gives another knock and stays quiet...

"i DON'T, UH... i DON'T THINK ANYONE IS HERE." Vriska comes up and shoves Karkat out of the way and KICKS the door open!

"Vriska that wasn't very nice!" Nepeta wags a finger at her.

"No one is even here, who cares a8out 8eing nice?" Vriska walks inside and looks around pretty quick. Oh shit she's got her vision eight fold back! HELL YES.

"No one lives here guys. I mean... there's stuff, but it looks like it was prepared may8e?" She walks in as the others peek in and slowly step inside with her. They walk into the living unit where rear pillows (couch) and a table are with twelve special chairs, a few windows, a cold food storage (fridge) in the cooking area with... cabinets. FILLED with all sorts of food products from Alternia!

"WHOA! Look at all the food in there guys!"

"Yes, And Look At The Nice Rear Cushions And The Table! Oh My, Look At The Seats..." Every seat is different. There is a seat for all twelve trolls if all twelve were there... Feferi's and Eridan's chairs are literally aquariums with little fish of their respective colors and cushions on the seats. Gamzee's, if only he were there was a little circus clown bending all the wrong ways... Its arms are back for the arm rests and his back is curved unnaturally along with his legs to make the rear dip and the legs... which somehow he has four of. Disturbing looking thing, "as usual" Karkat thinks to himself. Equius' chair is a fucking rocking horse. An old wooden rocking horse with little reigns and a mane and leather ears. Vriska's chair is just... a spider web chair. It looks really thin and JUST made out of spider webs... Terezi's chair looks like a judge's chair with a lot of bright colors for her to smell and taste. Kanaya's chair is a rather nice troll Victorian jade green fluffy velvet fabric with dark wood. Nepeta's is a large bear fur covered chair with claws paw pads up and claws out. Sollux's chair is red and blue with his sign in the center... He'd probably love it... Tavros' chair is a wheely chair that he can spin around in and it's childishly decorated in Fidu Spawn stuff. Aradia's is... just a normal chair, but it's decorated with engraved floral patterns and a red tie cushion on the seat. And finally, Karkat's seat is a big floaty shaped like a wrigglers pool toy.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS THAT GOD DAMN THING!? WHAT IS ANY OF THIS SHIT?!"

"Oh Eridan look how CUT-E! These have to be ours! They have our colors on them!"

"Wwhy isn't yours a fuckin' throne?"

"Oh gosh I don't want it to be a throne this is perfect!" She goes to her chair quickly and looks it over happily.

"Awww look how adorable the fish are!" Eridan walks over and is just happy she's happy for now... But seeing her tyrant pink blood on her gray skin makes him frown a little.

"I'm gonna go look for bandages or somefin..." He turns and goes to walk out another door but runs right into the door frame.

"Oww fuck." He can't see worth a shit without his damn glasses. Feferi gasps and winces at just the sound of his skull smacking against the wood.

"Oh gosh Eridan. You're bleeding."

"I'm bleedin' evverywwhere else too. Everyone's bleedin'... I wwas gonna go get some fuc- uh, flippin' bandages for ya but yeah. Wwall."

"I'll help you find them! Four eyes are better than one."

"8 eyes are 8etter than four!" Vriska chimes in with a little grin.

"Well you come help too!"

"Ah shit. Fine." The three of them walk out into a different area where there are other rooms.

"W3LL 1 C4N'T S33 4 D4NG TH1NG. C4N SOM3ON3 T3LL TH3 BL1ND CH1CK WH4T TH3 H3LL 1S GO1NG ON?"

"uH, WELL THERE ARE A LOT OF CHAIRS, ONE FOR EVERY ONE OF US. eVEN UH, THE ONES WHO AREN'T HERE. bUT UH, EVERY CHAIR LOOKS LIKE IT WAS MADE FOR US. tHEY LOOK AWESOME! i KNOW WHICH ONE IS YOUR CHAIR. cOME HERE." Tavros takes Terezi's hand and walks her over to her chair and she sits down.

"OOOOH! TH1S TH1NG SM3LLS 4M4Z1NG! CH3RRY R3D, L1M3 GR33N, 4 LOV3LY OR4NG3 T4NG3R1N3, L3MON Y3LLOW, TH3R3'S SO M4NY! TH1S 1S F4NT4ST1C!" She feels around and smells and then turns and starts licking at it. Tavros just sorta... backs up a little and laughs nervously. He's never gotten used to it really. Equius has already quickly gone and searched for a room for Aradia to rest. And oddly enough he finds a room that looks almost exactly like her hive. Well, he guesses this is what it looked like. Lots of flarping posters, red dice, flarping strategy books, a ... gardening shovel? A small wind up music box, a pickax and a hanger for her whip... Extraordinary... He goes to her recupracoon and... doesn't DARE undress her. So he simply and very carefully props her upright in his arms and gently slides her down into her dark red recupracoon and sopor... She slips in and curls up into a ball. He looks down into it... be decides it's pretty creepy to watch someone when they're sleeping. So he goes out and closes her door for privacy. Nepeta RUSHES by him and is jumping all around excitedly. It hurts because she's bleeding in several places, but she wants to look around!

"Nepeta, please refrain from moving so much. You'll tear your wounds further and they'll take longer to heal!"

"NUUUP!"

"Nepeta Leijon redirect your rump over here this instant."

"Oh fiiiiiine." She jumps down from her position on the wall and walks over to him.

"So you put Aradia to bed?"

"Yes. She is in much need of it. However you need taking care of as well. I still have to find the—"

"8andages!" Vriska holds them right between the meowrails and smiles.

"Ah. Thank you Vriska."

"Also Here Is Some Gauze, Rubbing Alcohol—"

"And ointment!" Feferi and Kanaya hold everything up and smile at their success.

"Where on Alternia did you find all of this?"

"Whale, it was just sorta... there." Eridan walks up with a first aid kit of some sort and holds it up as well.

"Yeah, it's spread out evverywwhere. My question is wwho the hell kneww wwe wwere comin'?"

"Maybe They Weren't Aware Of US Coming Per Se, But Perhaps Anyone That May Find This Place And Need Shelter, Food And Medical Supplies."

"So wwe wwere just lucky enough to meander and happen upon it?"

"It could be! But I think this is a good thing... After all that we all could use a break."

"Yeah. Let's get in the main livin' quarters and get evveryone bandaged and shit." The others nod and head down the hall.

"Equius did you see you're cute little chair at the table?" Nepeta looks up at him excitedly. Even after everything that just happened and everyone dying, she was able to quickly become happy like this. It baffled Equius.

"I did not. I was focused on getting Aradia some help. I have a 'cute little chair'?"

"Yeah come on!" She runs off and Equius just walks because he'll get there eventually anyway. Kanaya looks at everyone. Eridan who lost someone who almost appeared as a sort of lusus to him... Equius who found someone stronger than him and gained respect... Vriska who finally got to meet the real life Spinneret Mindfang ... Herself... Dolorosa did so much to try and help... With her Jade class she wasn't trained to fight. To run and to jump and to hold a weapon... She had to learn herself and she fought until the end... She died with a smile...

Aradia found someone to teach her more about her powers and her feelings, and Tavros who had finally gotten someone to boost his esteem and show him what sort of strength he had to look forward too... Sollux got to meet someone who could truly understand his powers and his aches and struggles, Nepeta found an equal and a teacher; Terezi gained and lost a friend who shared her interests...

Karkat got to meet the only person in the universe with his blood... He taught Karkat a lot. Kanaya knows it. She sees it in the way he looks and moves and talks now...

Gamzee... did he REALLY gain anything from all of this?... The poor thing along with Karkat was taken away. He was mentally and physically tortured by his ancestor. Gamzee went totally nuts and was really going to kill them for a while... When he started holding back though, she knew something was up. He'd somehow figured out what was happening and did his best to control himself... Even with Karkat and Tavros there he was still doing everything in his power to not lose himself again... To black out and not know that he's hurting his friends...

And then Feferi... She has to be associated with someone so evil when she is nothing like the Condesce... She has at least a couple good things in common though... Feferi is persistent and she stood up for herself and for the people she wanted to desperately to protect. She showed the witch that she isn't weak.

Kanaya knows that no matter what the Condescension said about Feferi being weak and unworthy of having tyrant blood, that she is better than that woman could ever hope to be...

Vriska notices Kanaya's lagging behind... and then that she doesn't look so good. But she doesn't call her out on it. She knows that everyone's going through a hard time and are deep in their thoughts... Vriska turns around and just enters the living r-

Terezi is licking her chair.

Sigh. Typical Terezi.

"Is there at least some kinda plastic on the chair Terezi? Come on you have to sit in that, gross!"

"OOOH STOP YOU, L3T M3 L1CK MY OWN CH41R!"

"UUUUUGH. Tereziiiii." Tavros is standing next to Karkat who's still staring at the floaty crab toy that he still hopes is not actually his.

"sO UH... wHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO KARKAT?" Silence... He looks over at Karkat and sorta chuckles. The annoyed look on Karkat's face was a little too funny so Tav laughs.

"THE HEEELLLL ARE YOU LAUGHING AT? LOOK AT THIS THING?"

"Hey wwait a second wwe wwere just talkin' about howw wwe didn't knoww if wwhoevver wwas here wwas wwaitin' for US specifically. So wwhy then wwould wwe each havve our owwn separate chairs that belong to each of us?"

"Huh. Good point for once egg 8rain."

"EGG brain?"

"Salmon eggs. Get it? Ha Ha. So someone really was expecting us then."

"Hey don't just go off subject like that!"

"Eridan let's sit at our seats so I can patch you up."

"Fef, you need it more than me..."

"No... You fought so much and so hard and had to go through so much—"

"Fef—"

"Eridan..." He looks down at her and frowns a little.

"Please just... let me help you okay?" They're quiet while the others mumble about the chairs to each other.

"If you insist Fef... Princess."

"Hey, cut that out right now. What even brought that up?" She leads the nearly blind Eridan over to their chairs and sits him in his and then sits in hers.

"I dunno Fef... I just... I wwas left alone wwith my thoughts for a long time on the ship. I thought hard about lots a' stuff... and I don't mean to sound creepier than usual but... I thought a lot about you." It was becoming a little awkward for Feferi now... She hated it when he talked like this.

"H-Hey don't look like that already you didn't evven let me finish."

"I'm sorry Eridan... you just—"

"I knoww wwhat I used to do. I knoww howw I wwas... and I honestly wwanted... to tell ya that I wwas sorry..." Feferi looks up from bandaging his arm a little and sees him looking down at his knees... The look on his face makes her frown. It's so sad and deep in thought. She even thinks for a second that he looks like he's growing up.

"You're sorry?"

"Yeah I'm sorry. I look back noww at myself and I'm actually pretty disgusted. I wwas desperate. I didn't wwant to be alone. And I'm sorry for pushin' myself on you the wway I did. I lovved you so much... and I wwanted you to feel the same wway. It wwas a foolish dream. It'll alwways be a foolish dream. I hate Sollux for takin' you outta my grasp. I hate him for making you happier than I evver could. I hate the wway you twwo look at each other because I knoww wwhat's happenin'... But wwhen I wwas sure I lost you completely when Dualscar and I took Gam and Karkat... I didn't knoww wwhat to do wwith myself... I sat on the ship and just wwatched the stars that wwere reflectin' on the wwater... and I just hoped that you wwere okay." Eridan continues to stare at his knees while Feferi just watches him... She's sort of surprised. All of this...

"I was very disappointed in you Eridan... but... I never hated you... I was really angry. You did so good when we were on the escape pod. You did SO GOOD...then you went off and did all that... I wanted you to change for the better. I don't want anyone to hate you, I only want the best for you because you're my friend."

"I knoww. And that makes me mad too. That I'm only you're friend. But I respect wwhat you'vve chosen... or rather WWHO you'vve chosen. Because evvven though I'm flushed for ya like no one else, I can lovve you enough to let you go and not hold you back from bein' happy..." He doesn't look up. Feferi stays quiet and thinks... then she continues on to cleaning his forehead free of blood. Neither of them speak until Feferi is done cleaning, medicating and bandaging Eridan up. They hand off and Eridan starts to carefully clean her wounds. He's never really felt her skin before. It's soft and even more amazing than he imagined. But he tries his best to not look like he's staring. The other side of the room is talking about other ridiculous chair things but are also bandaging themselves and each other up.

"SO WHY DO YOU GUYS TH1NK TH4T WHO3V3R D1D TH1S CH41R TH1NG... D1D 1T? WHY BOTH3R?"

"Yeah what's the point of helping us out? It's sorta 8othering me."

"And why, if they were e%pecting us, would they put out Gamzee's and Sollux's chairs out?"

"MAYBE THEY THOUGHT WE'D ALL BE HERE ALL VICTORIOUS AND SHIT..." Everyone becomes quiet and look at each other.

"Oooor~~~" Nepeta starts, "they're waiting for all of us to get together again and we'll all meet back here!"

"We should all listen to Nepeta! She's the positive one here!" Feferi smiles over at her and they giggle to each other, bandages in place. It's hard for everyone to stay positive after everything they just went through...

"SO WH4T'S TO 34T? 1'M ST4RV1NG." Terezi folds her legs and kicks one foot.

"Ah, Let Me See." Kanaya walks over and into the kitchen and opens the fridge.

"Oh My. There's Lots Of Stuff In Here. I Suppose We Can Have Whatever We Want From Here. There's So Much In Here It Would Hardly Matter Who Ate What."

"ANY MELLONS IN THERE?" Karkat gets up quickly and goes over next to her, peeking in the fridge.

"Hmmm..."

"OH! THERE IT IS!" He reaches in over the door to grab it but his arm's a little too short so he lifts a leg and reeeeaches! Kanaya goes to get it for him but he lightly swats at her.

"NU! I WANNA GET IT." Reach reach. Kanaya just chuckles a little when Karkat finally grabs the fruit with his nails.

"Happy Now?"

"FUCK YES."

"Language."

"YOU'RE NOT MY LUSUS KANAYA." That's a common joke the two of them share so it's just a little smile cracker for them. Kanaya thinks about everyone else and then everyone starts calling out their favorite food, rushing up to the fridge and peeking in.

"Meat! Meat Meat Meat!" Nepeta sniffs a little and looks around happily.

"Spicy fried gallina anywhere?"

"1 SM3LL 1T 1N TH3 B4CK VR1SK4."

"Ah! Sweet!" Vriska grabs back and grasps the box of the cold cluckbeast bits.

Nepeta eventually grabs a nice hunk of oinkmeat while Tavros reaches in for a plastic jar of peanut butter and raspberry jam and then reaches above the fridge for the bread. Terezi goes over to Karkat who's getting a knife to cut his melon and sniffs around.

"K4RKL3S 4R3 TH3R3 4NY 4LMONDS 4ROUND H3R3? 1N TH3 C4B1N3TS?"

"OH, UH, LET ME SEE." He opens the doors one by one and spots some.

"HUH. FOUND SOME. HERE YA GO."

"SW33333T. TH4NKS." She takes the bag and yanks the top open and starts grabbing almonds three at a time and crunching on them loudly. Equius leans in a little bit with his hands carefully placed at his sides.

"Kanaya is there perhaps an apple in there?" Kanaya looks around and bends over to the fruit drawer and moves aside some oranges.

"What Color Dear?"

"Are there any Fiji's?"

"Yes there is. Here you are."

"Oh thank you very much." He takes it as carefully as he can from her and then walks off and eats it happily. Before Kanaya stands back up, Feferi and Eridan manage to snag their foods, which both happen to be plastic containers of salad and little packets of ranch inside. Kanaya looks back at them with a smile and they smile back, going to get forks.

Finally Kanaya reaches into the fruit drawer again and takes out an avocado. Her now jade green eyes light up happily as she takes it out and closes the door.

"Oh Yes!" She fist pumps once into the air and goes over to the utensils drawers.

Many hours passed eating and snacking and exploring the hew hive and talking. Everyone's respitblocks are exactly the same as they were before the game. Nepeta just stares at her warm cave in shock... Her shipping wall and the rugs of animals her and Pounce de Leon killed together... Vriska looks at her room and just pouts. She hated her hive and her respitblock after being there for so long when making it as a child. It was soooooooo lame. Maybe she'll change it while she's here. Tavros looks at the ramp and glares at it a little going over and moving it... and then realizing that his recupracoon is wider at the top. So wide... that his horns might be able to fit! His eyes go huge and he can't believe this! Who made this place?! How did they make it? This is so weird, but he's so happy to have his horns fit! He jumps up and dunks his head AND HORNS into the sopor and he just relaxes with a sigh. Karkat passes by.

"THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TAVROS?" Tavros swoops his head out of the green sopor and turns his now wet and gooy green hair to Karkat.

"mY HORNS FIT!"

"THEY DIDN'T FIT BEFORE?"

"nO! tHEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN TO BIG, BUT NOW THEY FIT!" He smiles super widely, his super sharp teeth shining with glee. Karkat smiles and thumbs up.

"WELL AWESOME TAVROS. I'M GLAD THIS WORKED OUT FOR YOU... WOW YOU GOT A LOT OF FIDU SPAWN STUFF IN HERE."

"yEAH! i LOVE THAT GAME. tHE CREATUERS ARE ALWAYS SO CUTE!"

"I GUESS SO."

"wHAT ABOUT YOUR ROOM?" Karkat smiles a little bit.

"IT'S THE SAME AS EVER. IT'S SORTA NICE. BUT IT'S ALSO PRETTY DECEIVING. BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE NOT REALLY AT HOME YOU KNOW? IT'S A NICE RELAXING THING TO BE IN A FAMILIAR PLACE AFTER SO MANY SWEEPS... BUT..."

"oH YEAH... i GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. bUT I SAY WE MAKE THE BEST OF THE TIME WE HAVE HERE."

"I GUESS SO."

"iS EVERYONE ELSE IN THEIR ROOMS?"

"WELL FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN YEAH." He walks in a little and whispers a hair.

"I'M FEELING SOME AWKWARD FEELINGS GOING AROUND TOO."

"oH YOU MEAN FEFERI AND ERIDAN? yEAH I NOTICED THAT TOO. wHY DO YOU THINK?"

"DUH, ROMANTIC SHIT. ERIDAN IS TRYING TO SUPRESS HIS RED FEELINGS FOR FEFERI EVEN THOUGH HE ADMITED TO RESPECTING HER WISHES, AND IT'S REALLY AWKWARD BETWEEN THE BOTH OF THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR PAST AND THEIR OLD QUADRANTS. I WISH I COULD HELP, YA KNOW JUST TALK TO THE TWO OF THEM SEPARATELY AND TOGETHER AND SORT SOME STUFF OUT SO THEY CAN BE COOL WITH EACH OTHER."

"wOW... THAT IS PRETTY AWKWARD. i'M GLAD I'M NOT IN THEIR SITUATION. wHAT ABOUT YOU?"

"ME? OH SHIT UH... WELL THAT'S KINDA PERSONAL AND I GUESS I'M STILL KINDA..."

"tHINKING ABOUT IT?"

"SORTA? SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT'S WEIRD AND I DON'T WANNA RUN INTO ANY BUMPS IN THE WAY TO FILLING A QUADRANT, SO I'M JUST TAKING IT SLOW AND STUFF."

"tHAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA-"

"Equiuuuuuuuus!" Karkat and Tavros look at each other with big eyes and they just know.

Equius knows too. He speed walks to Aradia's room and opens the door a little.

"Y0u c0uld have put me 0n the gr0und! N0t in my recuprac00n with my cl0thes 0n!"

"I appoplogize, I only wanted to help you heal faster and to relax!"

"IN MY CL0THES?"

"Was I supposed to undress you?"

"N0!"

"Then explain why you are complaining when I could have taken the opportunity to be extremely perverted and disrobed you and didn't?" Aradia squints at him and makes her lips into a tight line.

"Next time just set me 0n the fl00r Equius."

"I will remember."

Over in Kanaya's room she has her hands together happily as she looks at her room, exactly the way she left it! It's strange, all of this being the same, but she's far too happy to give a shit. She walks around quickly and goes to the window. It isn't her beautiful sunny lawn ring, but the field of flowers and the dark sky is still beautiful.

Feferi was in her room and found it a bit different. Her room had no water... But as she searched, she found a new button where a light switch would have been. She presses it curiously and a hole in the ground opens up to... a fish tank! WITH CUTTLE FISH! Feferi GASPS and jumps right in! She's so excited! There are pictures and some of her things in the giant tank and the cuttle fish swarm her happily.

In Eridan's room he looks at everything with a sort of contempt... Things in his room... Such childish things... Old treasure maps that were more than worthless now... Statues of wizards, little piles of gold... Books on the shelf had to do with magic and science and quadrants and ridiculous rubbish... The only things worth keeping are his military books and weapons. Everything else... He had to get rid of this awful shit. It only disgusts Eridan now.

He walks over to where his computer used to be... and sees a purple cape and a stripped scarf. Eridan picks these things up with one hand... and just stares at them. He can't decide what to do with these things... The cape?... It looks so dumb now that he's had so much thought, and truth be told, freedom from its resistance and from his own ego. Capes to him were a symbol of royalty. Wizards wear them all the time. It used to keep him warm sometimes when he was without his recupracoon and it just felt like a part of him.

But now he feels it should only stay as a memory. A memory of how not to be. A constant reminder that he used to be such a naive wriggler who was so astoundingly ridiculous and pompous with his attitude...

The scarf however was staying. It was his favorite fucking scarf. He picks that thing up and wraps that motherfucker around his neck. Hipster or not, it was warm and made with the best material. Fuck haters, he loved his cod dam scarf.

Eventually night had come and the others had inspected their rooms and bonded with old items or spat at their memories and everyone for some reason just sorta... meet back up in the living area. They're all quiet. What are they supposed to do? The place obviously belonged to them, for now at least. Were they allowed to sleep? To stay? For real? None of them knew where they were still and everything was so confusing... But Terezi speaks up.

"W3LL 3V3RYON3, 1 S4Y W3 4LL G3T SOM3 MUCH N33D3D SL33P 4FT3R TOD4Y 4ND 4LL TH3 OTH3R D4YS. W3 H4V3 TO R3ST UP FOR WH4T3V3R TOMORROW BR1NGS. L3T'S 3XPLOR3 THE 4R34 TOMORROW 4ND S33 1F W3 C4N'T F1ND SOM3TH1NG 1NT3R3ST1NG."

"I'm with Terezi!" Nepeta raises her hand lazily and rubs her eye with her torn green coat.

"I'm supuurr sleepy."

"I'll go to sleep too... I'm exhausted." Everyone mumbles an agreement of how fucking tired they are and all head down the hall, each going into their own rooms, lower classes getting in first.

"NIGHT GUYS."

"G00d night every0ne."

"sLEEP GOOD!"

"Night!"

"Rest Up."

"3H."

"Guh."

"M."

"Good night Fef." One by one everyone closes their doors, and Eridan closes his without really letting Feferi answer back. She looks back at his door... and walks over to it.

"...Good night Eridan..." She puts her hand to the door a little and bites at her black lips... then goes to her room and shuts the door.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Rain

Last time on NEW GEN: New world

"Good night Fef." One by one everyone closes their doors, and Eridan closes his without really letting Feferi answer back. She looks back at his door... and walks over to it.

"...Good night Eridan..." She puts her hand to the door a little and bites at her black lips... then goes to her room and shuts the door.  
()

The next morning, the sky is exactly the same as when they went to sleep. Unusual, but not unheard of.

The first one up is Aradia. She crawls from her recupracoon and goes to her room's bathroom... which she didn't expect to have in this weird place... Inside is a cleaning unit that she promptly gets in, turning on some hot water. She washes her hair and just thinks. They've landed in this strange new world and now they have to readapt all over again. The Handmaid is gone now. But maybe all that time traveling was training for her... Did Handmaid know she was going to die?...

She turns the water off and gets a towel and dries off. After getting redressed, she exits her room and walks to the kitchen. The room is cold in the morning. But it's a pleasant chill that she feels graze her arms. Then she hears footsteps come down the hall.

"Mornin' Aradia..."

"M0rning Eridan." He walks by her and goes right to the sink, puts his head in, and just turns on the water with a sigh. She watches him for a moment until going up the one step to the kitchens wooden floor and pats his back a little.

"Are y0u alright?"

"I guess I'm as alright as a guy can get for all this."

"I understand... I'm s0rry I had t0 drag y0u int0—"

"Don't be sorry. It wwas gonna happen one wway or another right? I already thought about howw things wwere gonna be. I wwas already awware that people wwere gonna hate me. It wwouldn't be any different from normal anyhoww."

"Eridan... I feel terrible f0r all 0f this..."

"Hey aren't you alivve? I thought you wwere supposed to be happier wwhen you're alivve." He looks over and up at her from the sink after turning off the water. She frowns and looks down a little.

"I..." She stops and thinks while Eridan grabs a towel he brought from his room and puts it over his head.

"Don't wworry about it okay? It's ovver wwith and noww wwe gotta... deal wwith howw life is noww."

"I supp0se s0." She nods and looks up at him.

"Did y0u get taller?" Almost as if it was some big revelation she stares at him confused.

"Huh? Wwell maybe, I dunno. Maybe you just got shorter?"

"Imp0ssible. Y0u really g0t taller."

"Wwell good. Do I look more princely noww?" He makes a silly prince pose and flashes his big shiny teeth. Aradia smiles a little bit.

"N0. Y0u d0 l00k less ridicul0us n0w th0ugh."

"PPPPFFFFF. Jee thanks." He smiles back at her and then goes to the fridge.

Aradia realizes that Eridan of all people just cheered her up... She wonders what everyone else is like now. She feels like she's been gone forever... with all her time traveling with the Handmaid, she's ironically lost track of time. Her own time and her friend's time. She's seen so many versions of them dying, so she's not even sure if she's in the correct time frame... But she's pretty sure she is.

Equius is the next to come out and his hair is still wet from a shower, no shirt and only his shorts.

"O-oh. Good morning you two." Eridan looks behind and squints.

"Mornin' uh... Eq?"

"Oh yeah, your glasses are gone aren't they? How do you suppose you'll replace them?" Eridan folds his arms a little, and things.

"I couldn't tell ya. I guess I'll just havve to deal wwithout them for a wwhile. Wwe gotta figure out wwhat wwe're gonna be doin'. Equius goes up the one step to the kitchen area and goes to the fridge while he thinks.

"We should move on once we heal completely."

"Before that th0ugh we really have t0 investigate the area ar0und us. We c0uld very well be in a 'between w0rld' and then where w0uld we g0?"

"Ah yes, exploring is the first thing we should do... Oh. Aradia."

"Hm?" She glances over at him as Equius closes the fridge door, an apple in his hand again.

"I hope I didn't hurt you yesterday..."

"What? Why?" Aradia thinks... then remembers. Equius was holding her wrists the whole time they were walking. She wasn't...STRONG enough to hold her arms steady without all of them dying... So Equius came to her and helped her... Aradia looks at her wrists a little and around her hands. They're burnt from the energy clashing with her skin, and her wrists have bruises around her bones, but she smiles a little.

"0h. They d0n't hurt at all."

"So I did hurt you." He turns to her and looks at them. The purple and dark red bruises around her wrists are like rings...

"I'm so sorry."

"D0n't be s0rry!" Aradia looks up at him quickly into his blue eyes and it nearly startles the taller troll.

"If y0u hadn't helped me h0ld the water back and m0ve f0rward, then we w0uldn't have g0tten 0ut alive, 0r at all. Y0u were an imp0rtant part 0f 0ur survival... 0kay?" Equius stares down at her and nods a little.

"I will accept that. But I'm still sorry that I hurt you." Aradia sighs and slumps her shoulders.

"It's 0kay."

It takes a while for the others to get up, shower and get redressed, but everyone appears in the kitchen, eating various things. Nut butter and Grubsauce sandwiches, oink beast strips, cluckbeast babies, pancakes, waffles all sorts of breakfast things. After a while it's just quiet. Everyone looks at each other and then at the seats.

"Do we sit in 'em or what? I think mine looks pretty awesome." Vriska goes past everyone, now in her original outfit, jacket, shirt and baggy pants down the one step and walks over to her spider web chair.

"M1N3 W4S PR3TTY COMFORT4BL3." Terezi nods a little, toast in her mouth. Nepeta warily goes to her bear fur chair and pokes at the claws, sniffing at it a little.

"Maybe... maybe it was for the others." Terezi's gaze narrows behind her red pointy glasses.

"TH4T WOULDN'T M4K3 S3NS3 N3P3T4... H4NDM41D WOULDN'T H4V3 L3T 4NY OF TH1S H4PP3N..." She looks down a little and Kanaya looks over at her.

"SH3 WOULDN'T H4V3 L3T 4LL OF THOS3 P3OPL3 D13 4ND SH3 WOULDN'T H4V3 L3T R3DGL4R3 OR TH3 OTH3RS D13..." Terezi's hands turn into fists.

"You aren't the only person who lost someone Terezi, don't 8e so selfish." Terezi's red eyes go wide with anger and she grabs the familiar jacket that Vriska used to wear, and yells in her face.

"HOW /D4R3/ YOU T3LL /M3/ TO STOP B31NG S3LF1SH! YOU OF 4LL P3OPL3 SHOULD B3—"

"h-hEY GUYS COME ON... pLEASE DON'T FIGHT! lET'S JUST...-"

"L3T'S JUST /WH4T/ T4VROS? WH4T?!" Tavros bites his lip a little and looks down... but remembers what he's worked so hard for.

"wE HAVE TO CALM DOWN. gETTING ANGRY AND YELLING ISN'T GOING TO BRING THEM BACK. aND I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT BUT..." Terezi can feel all eyes on her, but she doesn't care for that.

"bUT I JUST WANT TO... TAKE WHAT WE LEANRED FROM ALL OF THEM AND... USE IT TO MOVE ON. oKAY?"

"MOV3 ON... HMPH." She lets go of Vriska's jacket and slumps. Feferi goes up to Terezi and puts a hand on her back very lightly, but the libra quickly walks off back down the hall to her room. Feferi calls after her "At least your ancestor wasn't a life ruining world destroying beach!" She watches Terezi stop for a moment, feeling a little bit bad... she was right... but it didn't stop her from being upset. She walks forward and disappears down the hall, leaving the others in silence...

"Well every0ne, aside fr0m that, we sh0uld really plan 0ur next m0ve... That is if we're all c0mf0rtable...

"TO BE HONEST... I THINK WE SHOULD JUST... FUCKING RELAX FOR A WHILE ARADIA. ALL OF US... WELL, YOU KNOW. EVERYONE IS STILL GOING THROUGH THEIR OWN THINK PANS AND STUFF... TO JUST... THINK." Nepeta goes up to him and hugs him. It was hardly to hug Karkat... but she wanted some sort of correlation between the Disciple and the Signless... Karkat looks at her... and just puts an arm around her shoulders and gives her a squeeze.

"I think wwe should take a breather too Aradia. Wwhat if wwe came up wwith a plan... in a feww days? Wwould that be cool?"

"Y0u ask as if I'm running the 0perati0n. I w0uldn't mind a break either. Luckily f0r me, a break is g0ing 0utside." Aradia turns to the door, going down the single step when Kanaya walks up behind her with a small smile.

"I Will Come With You. I Want To See The Outside As Well." Kanaya was very upset that Dolorosa was gone... but she thought she would take Tavros' advice and try to... move on. It's only been a day... but there was no going back now.

Tavros walks up to them and raises his hand.

"i WANNA COME TOO." The three of them nod and head outside. Tavros notices he doesn't have to adjust his head to get his horns through the door!...

"i'M STILL SORTA WEIRDED OUT BY WHOEVER MADE THIS PLACE FOR US... mY HORNS FIT THROUGH EVERYTHING!"

"That Is Pretty Weird. But That Makes Me Want To Think That It's Someone Who Knows Who We Are And Our Individual Interests And Needs. I Noticed That In My Room I Had Several Yards Of Beautiful Fabric Of Very Fine Material And A Few Extra Standing Mannequins! All Of Which I Needed Before... Everything Happened And Took Everything Away From Us."

"My r00m is exactly as it was bef0re it expl0ded. But that's exactly h0w I want it." They look around and it's just beautiful purple and red sky with stars sparkling in the perfectly unpolluted sky. All three of them look and stare at it with smiles. It's been a very very long time since they've seen their familiar sky... Tavros looks down at the little flowers and crouches down and picks at them.

"wHAT KIND OF FLOWERS ARE THESE ANYWAY? i'VE NEVER SEEN ANY OF THEM WHERE I LIVED." Aradia looks back and down at Tavros and the ground, then bends over with Kanaya.

"Hm. I'm n0t sure. I've never seen them either."

"They're Very Beautiful Either Way. But Look At The Ground. It's Dry As A Bone With What Looks Like No Water At All, Yet They Grow As If They're Being Spoiled With Nutrients And Such."

"Let's dig and see if there's anything interesting under here then."

"Oh Gosh Let's Do It In The Back Of The Hive At Least! We Can't Have A Hole Right In Front Of The Place! It'll Look Out Of Place And Ugly..."

"gIRLS ARE WEIRD..." Tavros raises an eye brow but doesn't protest as he stands up.

"T0 the back then." They all three walk several feet around the hive and to the back where they quickly get back on the ground and start digging. Well, not Kanaya. She really REALLY doesn't want to get dirt under her nails.

"Don't We Have A Shovel Or Something? You're Both Going To Get So Dirty And You're Going To Drag It Into The Hive."

"Kanaya really, d0n't be such a baby. A little dirt w0n't kill y0u. Y0u can just wash up, and y0ur beautiful red skirt will be just fine. Help us 0ut already." Kanaya makes a rather disgusted face as she bends over, making sure not to get her knees on the dirt, but she does start flicking at the dirt. Tavros and Aradia dig rather quickly with their sharp claws and find that it's really just dry dirt for several inches.

"Well this is strange..." Aradia sits up and folds her arms, eyes squinting in thought. Tavros does the same and "hmmms".

"There Aren't Any Roots At All... How Can There Be No Roots?"

"yEAH, HOW CAN THEY GROW NOT ONLY WITHOUT WATER BUT WITHOUT ROOTS? dO YOU THINK THEY'RE DYING AS WE SPEAK?"

"N0 they w0uld have been dead l0ng ag0, 0r at least died 0ver night... But they're still as fresh as they were yesterday."

"Hmmm... Well Clearly They're Some Sort Of Special Flower." Kanaya reaches down and picks at a very beautiful red one, brings it close to her face and smells it...

"They Don't Smell At All..." She pierces a petal with her finger and the flower disintegrates in her hand! Kanaya gasps and lets go of what should have been a small stem, but is now just sand. Aradia and Tavros watch in shock. What the hell? Tavros picks one along with Aradia and rip a petal off, each turning to sand...

"Well what 0n Alternia is this?... They just... When we step 0n them they d0n't crumble 0r anything."

"mAYBE IT'S THE CONTACT WITH SKIN?"

"000h. That's a g00d idea Tavr0s." Aradia stands up and takes off her flats and then steps on the ground one foot at a time. when she moves, she sees that the flowers are indeed dying and disappearing into the ground under her feet.

"H0w is this p0ssible?... Very strange. This is fun!" She smiles at the other two who are still a little concerned.

"It Doesn't Hurt? It's Not Sucking The Life Out Of You Or Something Is It?"

"N0t at all Kanaya. I can't even feel them disappear."

"aW JEEZ. i CAN STAND AND STUFFF NOW BUT I CAN'T RUN AROUND WITH SKIN FEET..."

"It's alright Tavros you can still touch them after all right?"

"oH YEAH, I GUESS I CAN." He nods and puts both hands down on the dirt and the flowers poof around his hands.

"tHAT IS SUPER WEIRD!"

"Indeed!" Kanaya stands up and holds her hands out.

"Ew... This Is Gross... I'm Going To Go Inside And Wash My Hands." She begins to walk away when a loud crack echoes from the sky. Everyone jumps and looks around, then up into the sky. There are very dark thick clouds rolling in and raining over everything in its path.

"Those... Weren't There A While Ago. Were They?"

"N0... uh 0h, l00k h0w fast they're c0ming!" She points and they all stare closely. The clouds are coming at them faster than any cloud THEY'VE ever seen.

"i THINK WE SHOULD GO INSIDE. lOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A BIG STORM."

"I agree." Aradia and Tavros turn and start to walk back inside when the cloud is already upon them. they think nothing of it. It's just water. ... Water. This place doesn't look like it's had water in years. The loud pitter patter of rain hitting the flower petals and the hard desert ground wash over them and begin to get them wet.

"Ouch!... Ouch!"

"Kanaya what's wr0n—0w!"

"tHE RAIN! iS IT REALLY HARD OR SOMETHING?... ECH!" He scratches his shoulder where a drop got him hard and looks at it. It feels weird! he looks over and finds a hole in his clothing.

"Get inside quickly y0u tw0!" They all run inside and slam the door behind them!

"Ouch Ouch Ouch Ouch Ouch Ouch!" Kanaya shakes her head around and scratches at it in pain. Feferi runs up to them quickly!

"What the heck is going on?!"

"The water! The rain is burning thr0ugh 0ur cl0thes!"

"And Our Hair!"

"aND OUR SKIN!" Feferi looks back at Vriska and Eridan wide eyed.

"Maybe go get in your showers? Go wash it off!" Kanaya doesn't even let Vriska finish her sentence while she jogs to her room. Tavros follows, but Aradia stands there in thought...

"What the hell..."

"What happened out there Aradia?" Feferi talks in a slight panic, trying to get more information.

"We were digging up the gr0und in the back 0f the hive at the kitchen wind0w there, and ... there are n0 r00ts at the bases 0f the fl0wers. And when skin t0uches the fl0wers they turn int0 dust... And then the rain came S0 fast!"

"Is that wwhat that loud crash wwas out there? I thought it wwas you guys havvin' found somethin'!"

"N0! It was the thunder! ... 0uch. This really hurts. I'm g0ing t0 my r00m t0 clean 0ff."

"Go quickly!" Feferi lightly touches Aradia's back and pushes her forward to the hall. Aradia walks and quickly goes to her room. Feferi tries to process what she just heard until she feels her hand stinging.

"Ow!" She looks at her hand and some of the acid got on it!

"Fef, come to the sink!" Eridan takes her arm and leads her up the step and turns on the sink water. She quickly puts her hand in it and washes the acid away. It's taken a couple layers of her skin!

"Oh... oh my gosh. That is horrible! Are we going to be okay Eridan?"

"I think so... this hivve has been here for a wwhile I'm guessin', so if wwe stay in here wwhere that shit can't touch us then wwe should be safe... Wwhoa, wwhat's that?" Eridan points out the window just above the sink and Feferi looks up and out of it. Vriska walks up behind them and looks out too.

"What the fuck?... Is that... a city?"

Off in the distance a dusty haze takes up a little bit of the horizon, but one thing makes them think it's a city. There's a very tall tower piercing the sand and goes high into the sky.

"Howw did wwe nevver see that?" Well Eridan maybe it's because you don't have any glasses and can't see anyway.

"Maybe... the rain. Maybe the rain did something?"

"That wouldn't make any sense, we should have 8een a8le to see it anyway. The rain couldn't have done anything to make the city appear like that."

"Well we haven't seen it before."

"Maybe it was already there yesterday, but we just didn't notice? We just wanted to get the fuck into this place. That's totally it. We just weren't paying attention..."

"Wwhy wwould a hivve be all the wway out here then if there's a city right fuckin' there?"

"Maybe who ever lived here 8efore us were 8anished?"

"Then why would it have OUR rooms and OUR things?" Feferi looks up at Eridan for some sort of answer.

"Maybe the house is... dare I say, magical or some shit?"

"Eridan we know magic doesn't exist."

"I knoww but seriously."

"Well maybe take out the possibility that someone lived here before us. Maybe someone built this place close to the city for us so we could go to it!"

"There's an idea Feferi. That's gotta be it. I wonder if whoever did this is just 8uttering us up or something..."

"Butterin' us up?"

"Yeah, maybe they gave us all our own shit 8ack and gave us these equally weird and cool chairs 8ecause they want something."

"But how would we know it's them?"

"We won't need to know who it is Feferi, 8ecause they'll find us when they need us!"

"Can't wwe just believve that someone wwas maybe just bein' nice?" Vriska looks at Eridan with the most skeptical face ever.

"Eridan. Think a8out what you just said."

"I guess you're right..." Eridan rolls his eyes a little and sighs.

"Well you guys... I guess we'll have to go there sometime and see."

"It'll take us a long time to get to wherever that place is... whatever it is."

"Yeah, and maybe find wwho's the mastermind of all a this..."

All three of them stand there at the window and watch... Vriska decides her vision eight fold could be a good idea right now. She uses this power and zooms in eight times on the city to try and see more...

"Mmmmmmmm... whoa... it's pretty 8ig"

"Huh? What can you see Vriska?" Feferi looks between her and the tiny little puff of smoke that is supposed to be the city. Vriska just stays quiet for a few seconds as she observes more.

"Well... like I said it's pretty 8ig. It's got some really tall towers and buildings... I can't see exactly what any of them even are... 8ut... it kinda looks like some of the cities on Alternia."

"Whoa really? Of what caste? What part of Alternia?"

"Like the higher bloods. Higher than me I think. 8lue indigo and purple may8e?"

"Whoa! That sounds really weird! They wouldn't have all of those castes together would they?..."

"No way. Equius and I had 8asically the same everything since we were neigh8ors. 8ut that's 8ecause we're almost next to each other on the spectrum. We're really close."

"Wwell ladies, wwhile you stare at the city, I'm gonna go try and make myself some glasses. Because not seein' shit reely sucks."

"Eridan why don't you go ask Equius?" Feferi turns to him a little as he walks down the step and heads to the hall. Eridan just groans a little and shakes his head.

"Noooo wway. I'll livve wwithout my glasses for a wwhile longer and make 'em myself."

"Eridan." Vriska turns her head to him with an irritated look.

"At least go ask Kanaya when she's out of the shower. May8e she can help. Don't 8e such a prideful 8008."

"HA! You're one to talk." He just chuckles and shakes his head. But... maybe asking Kanaya wouldn't be a bad Idea... Eridan gets down the hall and stops right at her room...

He knocks.

"Kan. Can I come in?"

"I Suppose So!" She calls from the shower. Eridan realizes how unusual this is... but he goes in and closes the door behind him. Everything is so bright and UGH. But it suits her he supposes. Her shower is going in the bathroom and he makes his way in there.

"Are you alright Kan? The rain bein' all acid and shit?"

"It Really Began To Hurt... I'll Have Some Small Wounds, But They'll Heal Along With The Other Ones... What Do You Need Eridan?"

Eridan goes in the bathroom and sits on the lid of the toilet and just rests his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.

"Wwell Vvriska and Fef said I should ask ya to maybe help make some neww glasses for me. Cuz I sure as hell ain't gonna ask Equius. If he and I wwere in a room together there ain't no wway he wwouldn't beat the fuck outta me."

"Well... Why Do You Think That?" A chuckle from Eridan.

"Wwhattaya think Kanaya? All the stuff I did... No one is gonna trust me evver again. HA! And after I wworked so hard wwhen wwe wwere on the escape pod. Evveryone hated me just a little less than usual."

"Eridan..." Kanaya rinses the soap from her hair and her body as she talks.

"It's Strange To Say, But It Was Your Fate. It Was Supposed To Happen. It Had A Purpose. You Heard The Hand Maid Didn't You? She Went To Every Time Line And We'd Never Made It As Far As Other Times. With Your Help, And Dualscar's Help... In A Long Roundabout Way You Helped Us... Eridan Please Don't Be Sad."

"You didn't havve to do all the dirty work..."

"You're Right... But... You Did What You Had To. And I Apologize For All The Trouble You Had To Go Through. You... You Really Came Through For Us."

"Thanks for sayin' so. Not to brag or anythin' but... I dunno."

"You Can Talk To Me."

"I mean... It's so fuckin' sappy. But..." He takes a deep breath and sorta mumbles it under his breath, the "shaaa" of the shower almost drowning it out.

"If it could savve evveryone then I wwas gonna do it. And I did. I kneww I had to go to Gamzee and let myself be killed, so that I could land in the spot Dualscar unknowwingly buried me in and swwim to Kar and the Signless and bring them back wwith Aradia."

"You Sacrificed A Lot For Us, And Regardless Of What The Others Say, I Appreciate What You Did." Eridan smiles, glad that there's a curtain between them.

"Thanks... That makes wwhat I did wworth it... I consider you all, wwell most you my friends."

"Am I Included?" Kanaya smiles a little as she turns off the shower and shakes the water from her hair.

"Wwell yeah... I'm sorry I killed you that one time."

"I'm Far Past That Eridan, And Even I Think You Should Let It Go At This Point. Things Were Different Back Then. We Are Not Those People Anymore." Kanaya reaches out from behind the curtain.

"Darn. Eridan Get Me A Towel Please?"

"Uh, sure." Eridan stands up and blushes a little. He'd completely forgotten that she was naked behind that curtain. But he goes to the closet and takes a couple towels out for her, walks back over and looks away as he places them on Kanaya's outstretched hand. It's the only part of her visible, but it's still embarrassing.

"Thank You." She swipes her hand back inside and wraps up.

"Now, as for your glasses, you and I will make some new ones when I get dressed. So, if you'll excuse me."

"Ah, yeah. I'll wwait outside." The purple blood walks out of the bathroom and out of her room briskly and shuts the door behind him. Weird. Kanaya never really... She wouldn't let him in her room normally or even come near her in the shower! What the fuck. Well... at least he'll get his glasses made.

Down the hall in Equius' room, Nepeta tries to clean some of the robot parts strewn about. She doesn't clean after Equius, but right now she wants to think about something else.

"Equius, is it wrong to be in a good mood?" Equius looks over at her from his desk, tinkering with a robot hand.

"Don't be silly Nepeta."

"I mean... We just watched them all die. Disciple... I really liked her. And I feel... a whole lot of emotions! Then I see the others acting like it never happened... But it did and I feel like they've forgotten them and the memories we had! All of the days we spent with our ancestors who taught us things and... they were US Equius! They were all us... I wouldn't be able to stand watching all of my friends die like that... I could never forget them just like that! So why!... Why isn't it wrong to be in a good mood?... It's wrong!..." She holds the metal parts in her arms and shakes. Equius stares at her sadly from his chair until Nepeta drops the parts and puts her wounded hands to her face and can't stop tears from escaping from her eyes. There's a list of things Equius never wants to see. Nepeta crying is on that list.

The blue blood stands up and goes over to her and does his absolute best to hug her as carefully as possible. It isn't right for one of his place in the spectrum, but that doesn't matter to him. This is his moirail... and right now she needs his support.

"Nepeta... Everyone has their own way of dealing with harsh realities... Maybe they're too shocked to accept it and can only replace their sorrows with a guise of nonchalance... Maybe some of us are still trying to process it... But don't think that anyone has forgotten what's happened. You'll never forget your ancestor will you?"

"No! Of course not!" Nepeta sniffs and turns to face him, still in his arms.

"And I will never forget my ancestor. We'll never forget what they taught us and we'll never forget who they were as a person. And we'll never forget how all of them saved our lives. So please Nepeta, don't be sad thinking that others are in a 'good mood'... Because I can promise you that they're not."

"That just makes me more sad..."

"Well Nepeta not everything makes sense right now. So we just have to wait... But for now, let's try to just..." Equius does his best to think of a way to say this without making it sound bad. But Nepeta just looks down at Equius' chest and says it for him.

"Move on..."

"Yes. We have to. Moving on doesn't mean forgetting." The olive blood stays quiet for a long time... until she hugs her moirail tightly and cries into his chest.

Equius looks down at her and lightly pets her hair. It's been a while since HE'S been the papping moirail... but he's so glad he can pull his weight and do for her what she does for him all the time.

"We're going to get through this. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do Equius. Of COURSE."

"Good." They hug for a long long time and eventually Nepeta doses off in his arms standing up. Equius picks her up and just lets her sleep in his room on a bed while he works on some robots to calm his mind.

What could they possibly be in this new place for? What's the point?... Funny. He was the one just now telling Nepeta they had to move on. Moving on is the point. But...

But...

TBC


	3. Mysterious Portal!

LAST TIME ON NEW GEN

()

What could they possibly be in this new place for? What's the point?... Funny. He was the one just now telling Nepeta they had to move on. Moving on is the point. But...

But...

()

Night had approached and the whole hive was silent. Everyone was in their room thinking hard and really reflecting on their adventure...

Karkat sits in his own room looking at his posters and his dorky crab door knob and his romantic books and his hacking magazines... "WOW," he thinks.

"ALL OF THIS WAS A BIG PART OF MY LIFE." His weird squared windows let in the soft light from the clouds and acid rain hitting the glass. He gets up from the edge of his recupracoon and looks out the window. The sand is untouched but the flowers are gone. As if they'd never been there in the first place. it's eerie and he just wishes he knew what was going to happen next.

Would the Signless have known?... No, he would have been just as lost as they are. But he would have been positive about it wouldn't he. He would have said something dumb like "Don't worry, as long as we're all alive and well together everything will be fine! We just have to trust each other and work together!" Jeez that guy.

Karkat looks down at his own hands and can just picture his candy red blood flowing from his veins. Is it a curse to be like this... or is it a legacy? A reminder that he's... special? No, he grew up being a monster, a mutant, an ugly piece of trash who needed to be culled on the spot.

Even though all of that was true, his lusus took him anyway. Karkat had killed the other grubs and survived. But even after all of that he was still a mutant who wasn't allowed to live. Then Crabdad came along and picked him up with his big claws and... he must have seen something about Karkat, because he ran off in secret, Karkat in his weird claw like arms and raised him... He raised a mutant knowing he could be killed for harboring a mutant. Why? Why would he take a risk like that? Why would he take a mutant in the first place?

"WHAT DID HE SEE IN ME THAT MADE HIM RISK HIS LIFE TO RAISE ME FOR SIX SWEEPS?" Karkat bites his lip and clenches his hands together into fists.

"DAMMIT." Why did these other kids accept Karkat even though he had mutant blood? They took a while, but they accepted him! They didn't kill him or anything!

What was Karkat's purpose in life... What could it be that would allow him to live again and again and again, trial after trial?

Signless had to go through the same thing. He was thrown into a pit when the Dolorosa found him and took pity on a grub that didn't even get a chance. She raised him and treated him like a normal troll. He was allowed to live again and again, trial after trial... because he had a purpose in his life. And thanks to his efforts and his sacrifice, Karkat was allowed to be accepted by his friends... Signless saved his life.

"I'D BETTER NOT WASTE IT THEN." Karkat nods to himself and looks around his room. It was time to change from that kid in hiding to a guy who was ready to move on and live the life he was granted.

He moves to the side and rips down a poster, then another and another. He throws them away and then goes for the books that he used to love and throws those away, not even giving them a fond glance of the past.

Karkat leaves his room and goes to Tavros' room which is only a couple doors down and knocks!

Tavros is awakened from his sleep in the sopor, but he climbs out quickly when Karkat knocks again. All he can do is grab a cloth to cover his junk when Karkat opens the door.

"aH! kARKAT WHAT THE—"

"I WANT A COUPLE OF THOSE FIDU SPAN BALLS!"

"wHAT? hOW COME? i MEAN, I DON'T MIND, I-IT'S JUST-"

"I NEED COLOR IN MY ROOM." Tavros looks at him and can see a weird new determination in Karkat's body language and...

"y-YEAH SURE, GO AHEAD AND TAKE A COUPLE. wHAT'S UP?"

"I'M NOT A STUPID FUCKING COWARD ANYMORE, THAT'S WHAT'S UP. "

"kARKAT?..."

"I'M NOT GONNA SIT IN A BORING GREY ROOM ANYMORE."

A smile crosses Tavros' face and he nods.

"i'LL HELP!" The taurus quickly dries off and gets on some pants and a shirt and help Karkat pick out cool colors. They leave Tav's room and go to Karkat's and hang the little balls from the ceiling. Afterwards the two run off to Aradia's room. Her door is open so they just sorta walk in.

"Well excuse y0u, thanks f0r kn0cking."

"SORRY. ARADIA I NEED YOUR HELP!"

"What's the matter?"

"NOTHING. EVERYTHING IS FUCKING AMAZING RIGHT NOW. LOOK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING COOL I CAN HAVE IN MY ROOM?"

"What?" Aradia raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"S0mething c00l t0 hang in y0ur r00m?..."

"YEAH LIKE MAYBE SOME OLD TREASURE MAPS OR SOMETHING?"

"0h. Yeah I have a c0uple."

"SWEET THANKS!" Aradia watches Karkat and Tavros run out of her room and she just shrugs and searches for something cool.

The boys quickly go to Nepeta's room and knock!

Nepeta stares sadly at her bare feet even after hearing the knock.

But she smells Karkat. She stands up and quickly opens the door.

"NEPETA! CAN YOU PAINT SOME STUFF IN MY ROOM?" Her giant cat eyes go huge at the sudden outburst.

"Karkitty? What's going on?"

"hE DOESN'T LIKE HIS ROOM GREY!" Tavros pipes up happily. Nepeta looks at them both one at a time... and then smiles a little.

"You want ME to paint something in your room?"

"YEAH." Karkat makes a small smile at her and a tiny nod. Nepeta finally breaks out into a big smile and nods quickly.

"I'll go get my stuff!" She runs off and collects her black soot, her grey ash, animals dark red blood, and rushes over to them. The torches that light her room go out as she closes her door with excitement.

"Let's do this!" She jumps up and down happily and runs off to Karkat's room without even waiting for him or Tavros. Tavros follows Nepeta while Karkat goes up to see Eridan at Kanaya's door.

"ERIDAN." The purple blood looks over at Karkat walking quickly towards him... well he's guessing it's Karkat. It's short and the sound of his stubby legged fast walk is a dead give away.

"Kar? Wwhat's up?" Karkat grabs Eridan by his shirt and looks up at him.

"I FORGIVE YOU FISH HEAD."

"Wwhat?..."

"I FORGIVE YOU. FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID. IS KANAYA IN THERE?" Eridan is a little too dumb struck to really answer verbally, but he nods.

"She's gettin' dressed."

"EH? WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN HER ROOM WHEN SHE ISN'T DRESSED?" Karkat's face instantly goes from determined to WTF mode.

"Oh uh, I wwas just askin' if she could help make some new glasses for me and she wwas in the showwer, BUT WWE WWERE TALKING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CURTAIN, KAR YOU PERVV. I left wwhen she said she wwas gonna get dressed!"

"ARE YOU TWO GOING RED?"

"WWHAT?! NO! Kar you stop that right noww." Eridan gives Karkat a little squinty look until Kanaya comes out all dressed and perfect with mascara and green lipstick on her bottom lip.

"What Is Going On Out Here You Two?"

"KANAYA! CAN I HAVE SOME FABRIC PLEASE?" Karkat lets go of Eridan and faces her. The jade blood looks confused and pulls her eyebrows together to show it.

"What Do You Need It For?"

"MY ROOM."

"Your Room?... Sure, I Suppose." Kanaya goes in her room and gathers up a few things of fabric, when Karkat calls "LEAVE THEM IN MY ROOM PLEASE!" and runs off. She looks back at the door where Eridan is standing really confused.

"What Did He Say To You Eridan?"

"He said he forgavve me."

"Is That So?... Good. He Forgives You. Hm. It Sounds Like Karkat Has Gone Through Things."

"Yeah. I guess so. Wwow that wwas weird."

"It was. Let's go to Karkat's room then and put these up ourselves!" Kanaya comes out with a good load of fabrics. Eridan takes half the heap from her and walks down the hall to his room.

Karkat gets to Terezi's room and knocks! The blind girl sits on the ground with her chalk and just pokes at the ground...

"WH4T 1S 1T?"

"TEREZI IT'S KARKAT."

"COM3 1N 1 GU3SS." The boy comes in and walks to her, kneeling before her.

"TEREZI. WANT MORE STUFF TO DRAW ON?"

"WH4T?"

"YOU CAN DRAW ALL OVER MY ROOM WITH YOUR BRIGHTEST FAVORITE COLORS YOU HAVE!" She lifts her head to "look" at Karkat with a weird look.

"WH4T 1S 3V3N GO1NG ON?"

"I'M TIRED OF MY STUPID ASS GREY ROOM, HIDING MY BLOOD COLOR AND BEING OFF THE SPECTRUM. NOW I WANT MY ROOM TO HAVE EVERY FUCKING COLOR IN THE GOD DAMN WORLD IN IT! AND I WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF IT. YOU SHOULD HURRY, NEPETA'S PROBABLY DRAWING SHIPS ON THE WALL." Karkat smiles at her a little and holds out his hand, knowing she can smell his red blood through his veins. Terezi thinks, staring into the darkness... then smiles a little and takes his hand, standing up.

"TH4NKS K4RK4T."

"FOR WHAT?"

"1 W4S... WOLLOW1NG 1N MY OWN P1TY 1 GU3SS. 1'M ST1LL SO UPS3T 4BOUT 3V3RYTH1NG..."

"AND THAT'S OKAY." Terezi looks up a little in surprise.

"WH4T?"

"IT'S OKAY TO BE SAD AND STUFF. WE'RE ALL SAD. IT SUCKS WHAT HAPPENED. I WASN'T THERE BUT I KNOW YOU MADE A PRETTY GOOD BOND WITH YOUR ANCESTOR. LISTEN, I KNOW SHE ISN'T HERE NOW. LIKE, NOT PHYSICALLY... ALRIGHT I'M GONNA GET REALLY FUCKING DISGUSTINGLY SAPPY HERE OKAY? SHE'S ALWAYS IN YOUR MEMORIES AND IN YOUR BLOOD BISCUIT. SO SHE'S NOT REALLY GONE. BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE. GET IT?" The libra stands there quietly and thinks... She's already tried to think of all of that... but when Karkat says it it just sounds more real to her... and it helps her understand that what she thought isn't stupid...

"Y34H. TH4NKS 4G41N. 1'D B3TT3R G3T TO DR4W1NG." She smiles and turns and grabs her chalk from the ground, then runs out past Karkat!

The shorter troll comes out and watches her run to his room and smiles after her. He's glad that he was able to help out one of his friends... especially an old crush. AH FOCUS. Next up Vriska.

"VRISKA!"

"Karkat? What are you yelling a8out?" Vriska pokes her head out of her already open door before Karkat gets to it.

"CAN YOU DRAW SOMETHING FOR ME?"

"DRAW something for you? Uh... weird request, 8ut sure, what?"

"I WANT YOU TO DRAW ME. UH..."

"Uh what? Spit it out Karkat."

"DON'T LAUGH."

"That won't happen."

"AAHH... I WANT YOU TO DRAW I GUESS... ALL OF US. IN ROLE PLAYING OUTFITS?" Vriska makes a pretty hilarious WTF face and slumps in confusion.

"What the hell? What's going on in that 8rain of yours Karkat?"

"CAN YOU DRAW IT OR NOT? I WANT TO BE A THRESHCUTIONER."

"Oh my god Karkat you're sort of fucking adora8le. Sure I'll draw it for you. What's it for?"

"MY ROOM."

"You strange little guy. I'm hearing a 8unch of commotion, are you doing something to your room?"

"I'M MAKING IT VANTAS FRIENDLY." Another weird look from Vriska.

"Huh. Okay, I guess I won't understand until I get to your room then. See you in a bit then Karkat."

"THANKS VRISKA." He runs off next door to Equius' door and Vriska watches. What's that little weirdo up to anyway?... Vantas friendly?... Whatever.

Equius answers his door and looks down at Karkat.

"Yes?"

"NEPETA'S IN MY ROOM."

"What? Why? Is that all you came to tell me?" Without his black broken glasses to hide his eyes and dark blue circles under them, he's really quite expressive. Not the stoic tall strong guy everyone looks at him as.

"I'M MAKING MY ROOM COLORFUL. I'M TIRED OF BEING THE GREY KID AND I'M OVER BEING SOMEONE WHO HAS TO HIDE ALL THE TIME. YOU HAVE YOUR SPECTRUM THING, BUT YOU HAVEN'T KILLED ME. SO I GUESS... THANKS."

"For not killing you? I couldn't very well have done that when Nepeta was so infatuated with you. However I wouldn't want to kill you now even if I had the chance."

"REALLY?"

"Really. You have earned my trust." Karkat smiles up at him and holds up a fist.

"THANKS. GLAD TO HEAR IT. YOU'RE NOT AS WEIRD AS EVERYTHING ELSE MAKES YOU OUT TO BE EITHER YOU KNOW." Equius looks at Karkat's fist and then him... with a small smile, fist bumping very lightly.

"I never cared what anyone else thought about me. However I appreciate the sentiment. I'll go to Nepeta then."

"LATER!" He runs off and notices something. Sollux's room was back there. But Gamzee's door is missing. It goes straight from Equius' room to Eridan's room with a small gap for where a door could have been for Gamzee's room. Karkat goes to the gap and puts his hand on it looking down at his feet.

"WE'RE GONNA FIND YOU GAMZEE. YOU AND SOLLUX... PLEAST STAY SAFE... BOTH OF YOU. DAMMIT GAMZEE WHAT DID YOU DO... WHERE DID YOU GO... FUCK..." He thinks hard about what Gamzee was saying before... how he felt abandoned and how no one cared about him, even when everyone was there looking for him... When they were all there trying to help... But that wasn't really his fault. Apparently no one had really considered the crazy clown's feelings and treated him like shit enough that the slightest trigger would set him off... Karkat just hopes that Gamzee can keep his head on right and not freak out again or anymore or EVER again...

The last time anyone saw him was when he was fighting the Grand high motherfucker and they disappeared behind a giant wall of water... Did Gamzee beat the highblood or at least escape? There's no way he escaped after what the Condescension did...

No, don't be negative. That clown... has his ways right?... Yeah... He has his ways. Just gotta trust him...

Karkat nods a little to himself and then goes to Feferi's room and knocks.

"Yeeees?" Feferi opens her door and smiles a little as she looks at Karkat.

"Oh hey there, what's up Carpfish?"

"DANGIT FEFERI." Karkat facepalms, but Feferi just laughs a little.

"Sorry! What's up?"

The shorter troll lifts his hand a little and cuts his palm with his other hand's nail, making red blood pearl up. Feferi's eyes go a little wide with shock after Karkat holds his hand out to her.

"Karkat?..."

"YOU AND ME ARE LITERALLY ON THE COMPLETE SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM. BUT EVEN WHEN YOU FOUND OUT WHAT I WAS, YOU DIDN'T THINK TWICE TO ACCEPT ME AND CONTINUE TO BE MY FRIEND. SO I GUESS I JUST... WANT TO THANK YOU FEFERI. FOR STAYING MY FRIEND." Karkat stares at her eye to eye and smiles at her, still holding his hand out. Feferi looks at him with her eyes still wide... but she smiles back at him sweetly and takes her own hand, cutting into the palm with her nail. She takes his hand and shakes it, their blood mingling and dripping down their fingers.

"I didn't think about it at all. You were my friend before and you'll stay my friend. I thought your blood was really cool and pretty, and I still do." She nods at him and he nods back.

"So I've been hearing a lot of noise out here and I was just gonna come check it out. What's going on?"

"OH. I'M FIXING UP MY ROOM. I'M MOVING ON YOU KNOW?"

"Ah that's a good idea! I wanna help!"

"SURE, WHATEVER YOU WANT." They let go of each other's hand and walk down the hall. By the time they get half way down they can hear everyone talking and laughing and discussing where things will go. Feferi stops and listens for a second. Karkat stops and looks back at her.

"FEFERI?" Feferi listens to everyone and smiles...

"Karkat you hear that?"

"UH... I THINK SO?"

"That's the sound of friendship and togetherness. It's really nice... after all that's happened."

"YEAH. IT IS NICE. I FEEL LIKE IT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE SIGNLESS DID NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT... WE COULDN'T REALLY MOVE ON UNLESS THE SIGNLESS CAME. EVERYONE HAD TO GET TOGETHER TO SAVE US AND LET US BE THE ONES TO MOVE ON... AND NOW HERE WE ARE MOVING ON. IT'LL BE HARD, JUST LIKE IT WAS BEFORE... LET ME BE SAPPY FOR A SECOND. I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND TRUSTING EACH OTHER, WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHATEVER IT IS THAT WE NEED TO."

"I thought you didn't believe in destiny." Feferi puts her hands behind her back and walks up to his side again. Karkat looks from her to in front of him and folds his arms.

"I DON'T REALLY. YOU HEARD THE HANDMAID, WE NEVER MADE IT THIS FAR IN A PREVIOUS TIME LINE. THAT'S BECAUSE WE ALL WORKED HARD AND SURVIVED AND WE BEAT THE ODDS. AND NOW WE'RE HERE. WE'LL FIND OUT WHOEVER IT IS THAT DID ALL THIS. BECAUSE THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW WE WERE COMING AND MAYBE EVEN WHERE WE'LL BE GOING. I NOTICED SOMETHING EARLIER TOO SPEAKING OF WHICH." Feferi tilts her head.

"Is that so? What did you notice?"

"EVERYONE HAS A ROOM RIGHT?"

"Uh... well yeah."

"ARE YOU SURE?" Karkat looks up at Feferi who looks down the hall and counts the doors.

"Let's sea. Aradia, you, Tavros, Sollux, Nepeta, Kanaya, Terezi, Vriska, Equius, Er-... Gamzee. There isn't a door at all. There's just a space there!"

"YEAH. BUT HE HAS A CHAIR. WHY WOULD THERE BE A CHAIR BUT NOT A ROOM? SOLLUX ISN'T HERE EITHER BUT HE HAS A ROOM."

"Let's look inside of it."

"SURE." They walk down and get to the door. There's nothing odd about it... Feferi grabs the knob and opens the door and walks inside...

"What... What... IS that?" There isn't anything in the room. It's just walls, no windows, no table or husktop, no books or bees or honey or the double recupracoon. Instead, the center of the room has a black hole with a slight image inside of it.

"WHAT THE FUCK?..." They both take a few steps closer, slowly and calculated.

The black hole has a small suctioning wind to it, but the two of them just remember to be careful. Inside, the picture is of what looks to be the city outside of the kitchen window.

"Hey, that's what's outside... What Vriska saw earlier."

"WHAT? THAT'S OUTSIDE? WHERE?"

"After Aradia Kanaya and Tavros came in, Vriska me and Eridan were looking out the window when we all saw a weird thing on the horizon. Vriska looked in on it and she said it was a city that looked really close to the blue bloods class of housing and buildings."

"WHOA... SO YOU THINK THIS IS IT?"

"It sure looks like what she described... Hey look it's moving!" The image of the city starts to close in. But the two notice it looks as if someone is walking as they come closer to the city.

"WHOA, ARE WE LOOKING THORUGH SOMEONE ELSES EYES?"

"I... I think we are!... Who could it be though?"

"I HAVE NO CLUE..." The person walks into the city and takes a back route behind most of the buildings. After a while of walking, the person goes up some hidden stairs and into a big single room hive. They stop there and look around the place. It's simple with four walls and nothing else. Finally the person walks to the right a little bit to the right wall and touches it. A door cracks open and inside is a smaller room with shelves and provisions... A hideout?

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

"I think... this person is showing us the way. The same person who did all of this! The hive and the rooms and the chairs!"

"BUT WHY THE FUCK DO THEY WANNA HELP US? I DON'T FUCKING UNDERSTAND!"

"I think... we have to follow the route this person took."

"WHY?"

"That place is meant for us!"

"FEFERI WHAT IF IT'S JUST A FLUKE? WHAT IF IT'S SAYING WHERE NOT TO FUCKING GO?"

"They wouldn't have shown us the way to get to it if they didn't want us to go." They think hard about this, still watching the person move around the hive. After a while, the person turns around and goes to the door and leaves, going down the stairs. As they walk, someone on the sidelines calls to him.

"Sir!" The person looks over at the voice quickly and then the image cuts out and replays...

"FEFERI... WHAT SHOULD WE DO?" Karkat looks up at the tyrant pink blooded troll and she stands totally still...

"We should tell the others... Buuuuut we'll tell them later." She smiles down at Karkat whose eyes go wide.

"SHOULDN'T WE TELL THEM NOW?"

"Well we SHOULD, but don't you want to use your new room a little?"

"FEFERI..." Karkat smiles a little at her and nods. They walk backwards out of the room and close the door behind them and quickly goes down to Karkat's room. Nepeta jumps out and tackles Karkat, swinging on his back and covering his eyes with her hands. She swings her legs around Karkat's waist and holds on tightly!

"Close your eyes Karkat!~" Karkat smiles a little more and puts his hands on hers and slowly walks in the door, the soft hand that obviously belonged to Kanaya guiding him in.

"Alright Karkat, Ready To See Your New Room?"

"U-UH.. YEAH."

"Oooooooone~~~" Vriska says from one corner of the room.

"Two," says Equius from the opposite corner.

"THR33!" Terezi says happily! Nepeta lifts her hands from his eyes and jumps off of him and behind.

When Karkat opens his eyes, he sees... the best room EVER. There are colors EVERYWHERE. Kanaya has hung fabrics on the ceiling in the corners, Nepeta, Vriska and Terezi have drawn awesome pictures on the floor and walls, Tavros has hung more fidu spawn balls from the ceiling and tied some around Karkat's desk, Equius and Eridan mostly just stood around and watched, but they're still there with smiles on their face.

"WHOA... GUYS... THIS IS AMAZING. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!" He smiles a lot and his eyes just light up. Everyone smiles back at him and some giggle.

"Do You Like It Karkat?" Kanaya pats Karkat on the shoulder a little with a big green lipped smile. Karkat just nods and looks around in happy shock.

"I LOVE IT."

After several minutes of everyone pointing out what they did and stuff, everyone files out to leave Karkat be in his new colorful room. In the hallway everyone smiles at each other and Nepeta claps her hands excitedly.

"Did you see his face guys? He really liked everything we did!" She jumps up and down and has to cover her mouth to stifle her screams. Vriska folds her arms and shrugs with a small smile.

"Well did you see what it looked like before we got in there? It was 8oring as hell!"

"1T D1DN'T SM3LL L1K3 4NYTH1NG BUT 4SH. BUT NOW 1T SM3LLS L1K3 4...4... 1T SM3LLS FUCK1NG 4W3SOM3!" Terezi cackles claps her hands too.

"It wwas pretty blank. But I guess wwe shouldn'ta expected any less. He's been hidin' his identity for his wwhole life. It's all behind him now though. It should be at least."

"I agree. He came to my door and thanked me for not culling him even after I found out his true color. At first it was only because of Nepeta, but he has grown on me I suppose." Equius folds his arms and then scratches his cheek a little, feeling slightly odd for admitting it. Aradia just pats his shoulder with a smile.

"I am just glad he likes it n0w. He's gr0wn t00 and he finally decided that he trusts us en0ugh. That's what makes me happiest."

Feferi lets out a breath of relief and smiles at everyone. How odd and ironic. The mutant blood that would normally only bring people together in unison to kill him has brought everyone together for a totally different reason. A much better reason. Everyone was sullen and upset not too long ago. And now thanks to Karkat everyone is talking happily. They all still have scrapes and bruises, but they're acting like they used to. It makes Feferi so happy... to see everyone else happy.

Now. About that portal thing... How should she tell them... Maybe in the living room with all the chairs. Not now of course. She wouldn't dare bother everyone when they're all so happy.

()

The day had passed... A week passes... Two weeks pass.

Everyone was finally healed and they were all happy, talking often and eating together.

"I think now is probably a good time to talk about something Karkat and I found a couple weeks ago everyone." Feferi took the small gap of silence to finally bring that thing up... Karkat looks up from his food at her in remembrance. Terezi looks over in Feferi's general direction with a quizzical look on her face.

"YOU GUYS FOUND SOM3TH1NG? L1K3 WH4T?"

"WE WENT INTO SOLLUX'S ROOM BECAUSE WE WERE CURIOUS..."

"Well what did y0u see?" Everyone leans in a little, curious.

"We found a weird portal thing... A portal into the city that's out the window. We watched it play a sort of... it wasn't a movie, but it was..."

"IT WAS LIKE WE WERE WATCHING FROM SOMEON E ELSES EYES. THEY SHOWED US THE WAY IN AND A PLACE WE COULD ALL STAY AND HIDE MAYBE. IT COULD BE A TRAP BUT... I DUNNO I FELT LIKE I COULD TRUST THEM."

"Same here! I've been checking on Sollux's room to make sure the thing is still there and it is. It hasn't moved at all. It's still black and every time I get close... well it just stays black. It doesn't replay or anything. I can't see anything else this person sees."

"Why the hell would we go to the city and HIDE when we can' just stay HERE and be safe?"

"That ain't like you Vvriska. Hidin' awway. I wwoulda thought you wwanted to get into some trouble after so long."

"True, /I/ want to go and see stuff, 8ut I'm not sure a8out everyone else. And it pro8a8ly sounds weird coming from me, since when do I do anything that I don't want to do in favor of the group? Since now. We're all happy here and shit and I don't want to 8e the one to fuck it all up."

"Howw considerate of you."

"Let's go take a look at this thing!" Nepeta stands up on her furry chair on the arm rests and throws her fist into the air!

"I still don't get why you didn't tell us, but NOW IS THE TIME TO CHECK IT OUT!" She jumps on the table very light-footed and then off onto the ground and down the hall. Everyone starts to stand up and follow, when Kanaya speaks up.

"Why DIDN'T You Tell Us? I'm Sure There Was A Good Reason, I'm Simply Curious."

"We were all so happy Kanaya... and no harm was being done! So Karkat and I decided not to say anything until we thought the time was right... Actually it was mostly just me. I didn't want to ruin Karkat's happiness since he'd just gotten his room done, and everyone else was still happy and I didn't want to... disrupt it you know?"

"Ah I Understand. That's Very Generous. It Looks Like Now Is The Time To Check Out This Unusual Find Then."

"It sure is. I just feel really nervous though for some reason."

"Is That So? Do You Have Any Idea Why?"

"That portal gives me the creeps... Why is it in Sollux's room? And why doesn't Gamzee have a room but he has a chair? I don't understand and it's creeping me out."

"I'm sure we'll all understand in time Feferi." Kanaya walks down the hall with Feferi behind everyone else and they come to the room. Everyone is standing inside just staring at it.

"It's not doing anything... Someone throw something at it." Tavros takes a rock from his pocket (it's a cool one he found outside) and throws it in the portal. It gets sucked in... and then THROWN right back out and into Tavros' face.

"oW! tHAT HURT! dUMB THING. wHY DID IT THROW IT BACK AT ME?"

"That's really wwierd... if it's a portal wwhy WWOULD it throw it out? Fef you said you saww someone in the city lead ya somewwhere?"

"Yeah. He walked towards the back of the place and then he walked up some secret stairs and went inside. After he looked around for a little he just kinda left."

"YEAH, AND THEN SOMEONE CALLED OUT TO HIM AND IT CUT OUT."

"Yeah! They called him 'sir!' After that it replayed!"

"IT HASNT' REPLAYED SINCE THEN THOUGH THAT I'VE SEEN." Everyone is quiet and just thinks about this...

Until it starts playing something else.

"Hey lookit! It's doing something!" Nepeta points excitedly at the portal and looks closely with everyone else.

The person is walking through the desert that they're in! They walk into the back of the city and find the secret stairs!

"Hey those are the stairs we told you about!" They go up the stairs and reach out and open the door. Inside is exactly the same plain four walls and to the side is the small room of food. They turn around and leave and someone calls to them again.

"Sir!"

"IT'S REPLAYING WHAT WE SAW FEFERI."

"Yeah it's the same thing."

"WAIT LOOK."

"Sir! We need your help..." The other responds, but no one can hear them...

"Her majesty is back." The guy flinches, presumably being yelled at.

"I'm sorry—we don't have time sir... She has the yellow blood with her." Our first person guy seems surprised and runs past the smaller guy through the city. Feferi's eyes go huge.

"The Condesce has Sollux..."

"JUST HOLD ON FEFERI, WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AGO THIS WAS."

"What are you talking about, we've only been here for a couple weeks! It couldn't have been that long ago!"

The first person guy runs and jumps on top of some hives and looks towards the center of the city where he sees TV screens turning off, and then flickering back on with the face of Her Royal Condescension. She moves aside though and grabs someone's face and brings them into the shot... It's-

The portal closes and disappears.

"HEY!" Karkat reaches out, but it's already gone...

Suddenly a strange grainy noise fills everyone's ears.

"W-what's that?" Eridan grabs Feferi's arm and pulls her away from part of the hive that falls down! Everyone looks up and... The whole hive is turning to sand!

"SH1T. L3TS G3T OUTT4 H3R3!" Terezi runs out, everyone filing out behind her. They all run into the living room where all the chairs are and they too turn to sand. EVERYTHING slips and slides and wavers and falls into piles and dunes of sand.

They're forced to run outside and watch their hive collapse to the ground...

"We... never should have watched that..." Feferi stares in shock and then looks down.

"Fef it ain't your fault..."

"I THINK THIS WAS PROBABLY BOUND TO HAPPEN..."

"yEAH. i DIDN'T THINK WE'D GET TO STAY FOR SO LONG. mAYBE IT WAS JUST TIME... FOR US TO GO."

"Perhaps... It Looks Like It's Time To Go To The City Then..." Aradia rubs her chin a little in thought of what they just saw...

"If y0u tw0 had seen m0st 0f that a c0uple weeks ag0, then that means it's already happened quite a while ag0..."

"May8e we just gotta get the hell in there and figure it out then..."

"Probably... Nepeta are you ready?"

"I think I don't have a choice! ALL OF THAT MEAT IN THERE IS GOOOONE!" Nepeta throws her arms in the air and then slumps. Equius just chuckles and shakes his head.

"Let's get moving I suppose..."

"IT'S GONNA BE A LONG ASS WALK..."

"wE'VE BEEN THROUGH WORSE."

"TRUE..."

"L3T'S GO 4LR3ADY!" Terezi proceeds to walk the other way.

"Thiiis wway." Eridan grabs her arm and turns her around and walks. The others slowly follow...

"wHAT HAPPENS IF THE ACID RAIN COMES AGAIN?" Tavros looks over at Kanaya and Aradia who just shrug.

"We'll have t0 h0pe it d0esn't c0me back at all..."

"sO... sHOULD WE GO TO THAT HIDE OUT? tHAT WE SAW IN THE PORTAL THING?"

"I THINK SO... I JUST HAVE THIS FEELING THAT WE CAN GO THERE AND BE SAFE."

"I hope you're right Karkat..."

"I THINK I AM FEFERI... I THINK I AM."

TBC


	4. A LiTtLe iNfO

LAST TIME IN NEW GENERATION

()

"wHAT HAPPENS IF THE ACID RAIN COMES AGAIN?" Tavros looks over at Kanaya and Aradia who just shrug.

"We'll have t0 h0pe it d0esn't c0me back at all..."

"sO... sHOULD WE GO TO THAT HIDE OUT? tHAT WE SAW IN THE PORTAL THING?"

"I THINK SO... I JUST HAVE THIS FEELING THAT WE CAN GO THERE AND BE SAFE."

"I hope you're right Karkat..."

"I THINK I AM FEFERI... I THINK I AM."

()

The group of trolls walk and walk and walk for hours upon hours. Eventually they decide they ALL need to take a break and sit down on the hard desert sand.

"Are you alright Nepeta?" Equius sits down and crosses his legs and looks over at his little meowrail. Nepeta flops to her knees and then leans on Equius' shoulder tiredly.

"Yeah I'm okay. It's such a long waaaaalk! Does anyone know if we're... even KINDA close?" Everyone is quiet and estimates the time needed...

"uH... i'D SAY IT'LL TAKE A DAY OR TWO HONESTLY..."

"Whaaaat? A day or two?!" Nepeta groans and pushes at Tavros a little.

"Come on at least make it SOUND less awful!"

"w-WELL NEPETA I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU! tWO DAYS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IT'LL TAKE THOUGH, DON'T YOU GUYS THINK?" Vriska sighs a little and scratches her head. She looks over at the city and uses her vision eight fold...

"You know... If I'm gonna guess... I'd say a8out the same time too. 8ut it won't 8e THAT 8ad Nepeta. 8esides, you have Equius to carry you around, why don't you use him to your advantage?"

"What?! That'd be mean Vriska! I have to work hard and fend for myself just like I did before anyway! Even if I lost a leg I wouldn't make him carry me!"

"Nepeta you would not have a say in such a matter. I WOULD carry you and that's final."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Nepeta."

"UGH." Karkat facepalms and then runs his hands through his fingers.

"AND HAS NO ONE ELSE HONESTLY NOT NOTICED THAT THIS DESERT ISN'T BLISTERING FUCKIN' HOT? ALL OF US HAVE OUR SKIN IN TACT AND IT'S NOT MELTING OFF LIKE CANDLE WAX LIKE THAT ONE MOVIE."

"Y34H 1T'S PR3TTY T4M3 OUT H3R3. 1'V3 B33N WOND3R1NG, DO3S 4NYON3 TH1NK M4YB3 TH1S PL4C3 DO3SN'T 3V3N 3X1ST?"

"Doesn't Exist?... Explain." Kanaya is sitting on her knees, much to her dismay after fixing her damn skirt... but she's too tired to care really.

"W3LL... TH4T H1V3 W4S JUST SORT4... TH3R3. 4ND 4LL OF OUR RESP1T3BLOCKS W3R3 TH3R3 W1TH 3V3RYTH1NG W3 KN3W FROM 4LL TH4T T1M3 4GO... 4ND TH3N SUDD3NLY 1T 4LL JUST TURNS 1NTO S4ND 4ND D1S4P34RS. 1T'S GON3. SO D1D 1T 3V3N EX1ST? TH1S D3S3RT'S PL4NTS TURN TO S4ND UPON CONT4CT 4ND 1T'S NOT 3V3N HOT."

"Well... I was thinking perhaps it was magic."

"Actually Feferi, magic d0es seem rather plausible c0nsidering everything we've seen s0 far. The acid rain th0ugh is still a mystery. I d0n't get it. The air must be truly terrible if it can't even pr0duce real water." Aradia makes small circles in the cracked ground in thought. Eridan doesn't even say anything. He just wants to sit down... or swim. Yeah, swimming would be so fucking great right now... A desert ain't a place for a couple of fish to be walkin' around in.

"You holdin' up okay Fef?"

"Oh I'm just fine Eridan. What about you, are you okay?"

"I'm okay I guess..."

"Is there... something wrong?"

"No nothin's wwrong. I guess I'm still tryin' ta figure out exactly wwhat's goin on here wwith that portal stuff, and... the fact that it wwas in Sol's room. Wwhy his room? And wwhere the fuck wwas Gam's room? There wwasn't even a door."

"Yeah, Karkat and I noticed that too! And then we thought why would he have a chair and not a room?"

"It's all pretty wwierd... And I hate not knowwin' shit."

"Oh I know you do. But maybe when we -..." Feferi makes a strange face as she spots something on the ground. Eridan doesn't ask, only looks at what she could be looking at. It's a purple circle... that's making a line in the sand. It's almost like it's not there at all. It's not making dents or breaks in the sand... it's almost like it's just on top of it.

"Wwhat the hell?"

"OH MY GOD..." Karkat stands up and goes over to it... and looks into the sky. A purple smiley face is floating in the air.

"GAMZEE! GUYS IT'S GOTTA BE HIM! IT'S THAT STUPID FACE HE ALWAYS MAKES!" Everyone looks into the sky and sees the purple happy clown face above them.

"Wait! Does that mean he's okay?!" Nepeta stands up and runs next to Karkat quickly.

"HE'S GOTTA BE."

"Look! The Line Is Moving!" Kanaya stands up quickly with the others and points at the purple line moving towards the city.

"IT'S GOTTA BE GAMZEE! LET'S GO GUYS!" Karkat wastes no time running and following the line as it starts to go faster. Everyone follows him and the line as quickly as possible.

"WE'RE LISTENING GAMZEE! I DUNNO WHERE YOU ARE YOU BIG DUMMY BUT WE'RE COMING!" The line persists forward for several minutes until a bush pops up from the ground and the words "HiDe" Are written in front of it. Other bushes pop up and everyone spreads out behind each bush. Karkat looks up at the sky, but the face is gone along with the line on the ground.

"HE'D GONE?... GAMZEE WHY ARE WE FUCKING HIDING?..." Little purple writing appears before Karkat.

"StAy QuIeT bRo." Karkat's eyes go wide and he covers his mouth and looks out from the bush. On the other side is a line of lowbloods being lead inside the front gates of the city. They're being lead by a subjuggulator... something the group was hoping to never have to see. The young subjuggulator yanks the lowbloods inside one by one and hands them off to a blue blood of Equius' caste. Everyone gets a good look at each troll when one strikes everyone's interest.

"Is that... Sollux?" Eridan points him out to Feferi...

It sorta looks like him... but he looks almost too old to be him.

"N-no that can't be him, he's older than Sollux..."

"Only Sol has those kinda horns though Fef..."

"No I won't believe it..." The purple writing appears in front of them again.

"AlL tHeM bRoS bElOnG tO hEr HiGh BiTcH. AnD tHat Is Sol BrO tHeRe... YaLl HaVe BeEn AbSeNt FoR a WhIlE..."

"Wwhat?... Abset for a while? YOU'RE the one that's been absent you damn clowwn."

"I'lL eXpLaIn LaTeR. JuSt KeEp QuIeT."

The writing goes away and everyone goes into the city and disappear... After a while the bushes disappear as well and the trolls come together.

"Guys! Gamzee wrote that that was Sollux!" Feferi's eyes are huge and she holding her hands tightly to her chest.

"YEAH... BUT HE WAS OLDER."

"Gam said he's explain later... I say wweget to the back quick and get inside."

"Hey w8 a second! It was supposed to take a couple extra days to get here!" They all look at each other and then the city which is now right before them.

"h-hOW DID WE GET... hOW DID WE GET ALL THE WAY OVER HERE SO FAST?" Tavros looks very confused along with everyone else.

"G4MZ33 1 B3T. 1 DON'T KNOW HOW BUT 1 B3T 4NYTH1NG 1T W4S H1M."

"It must have been. He'd also said we had be the ones absent for a while."

"Equius is right! Did anyone else get that?" Nepeta looks at Kanaya for a response. But Kanaya just stays quiet...

"Let's Not Stay Out In The Open Like This. L- There's The Line Again Everyone." Kanaya points to the line that's formed several feet away from them, and leads them right to the back where the portal thing showed them. Everyone chases it and then it disappears again!...

"I THINK ... OH YEAH THE STAIRCASE SHOULD BE ... AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE..." Karkat takes a peek around a corner and all he sees are highblood trolls... Blues and purples everywhere... Some of the teal bloods are around but they're just drops of them in the vast blue and purple ocean...

"OH MY GOD... LET'S HURRY UP AND GET INSIDE BEFORE WE'RE ALL CULLED."

"This way, I remember!" Feferi leads the group to the side of the wall and they all carefully slip around.

"Oh there it is!" She points and then runs up to it, looking all around her to make sure... She opens the door and ushers everyone inside. Tavros trips.

"I TOLD you to st8y aw8y from those STAIRS TAVROS." Vriska helps him get inside and then Feferi slams the door behind them.

"Phew! We made it!"

"Indeed. And there are several clothes on the wall. Take a look." Equius points to the wall where new clothes are on hangers, clinging to nails that were hammered into the wall. The place is kind of dusty... so it's been a while since anyone has stepped inside.

The floor produces more purple words.

"WeLcOmE hOmE mOtHeRfUcKeRs. :o)"

"GAMZEE WHERE ARE YOU? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST COME OUT AND SHOW YOURSELF OR SOMETHING?"

"ThAt'D bE a BaD mOvE. WeLl MaYbE nOt, BuT iT'd LeAd EvErYoNe RiGhT tO yOuR mOtHeRfUcKiN' hIdEoUt ThAt I wOrKeD aLl HaRd FiNdInG fOr YaLl."

"Wwhat did you mean WWE wwere the ones wwho'vve been absent?"

"Where's Sollux? Was that really him?!"

"WhOa NoW jUsT hOlD oN. aIn'T nO rUsH." The purple words all get erased from the floors and walls like he's starting over... like a new page to write on.

"What do you mean there's NO RUSH!? We just saw Sollux getting pushed into the gates of this place tied up with others! HOW IS THERE NO RUSH!?"

"DoN't Ya TrUsT mE mY fIsHy PrInCeSs?" Feferi is silent... and does her best to keep from stomping on the words...

"Gamzee it's your fault this is even happened!"

"Feferi." Fef looks over at Kanaya who is giving her a rather stern look.

"Gamzee Is Not The Cause." Aradia nods and steps up a little more to the words.

"She's right Feferi. It was fated t0 be n0 matter what that we w0uld end up in this p0sition. Gamzee didn't cause it. Be grateful that he's given us a place t0 stay."

"Speaking of which, Gamzee did you make that place? The one we were staying in before." Vriska adjusts her glasses and waits for her answer.

"I sUrE dId SiS. i HoPe YoU lIkEd It SoMe."

"How did you do that?... How did you know we were coming? Where we'd land?" The purple words disappear and it's quiet for a little while... until again the words appear.

"LiKe I sAiD sIs It'S gOnNa TaKe SoMe TiMe. BuT lOoK. i'Ll SeT uP a DaY wHeRe We CaN mEeT aNd I'lL eXpLaIn EvErYtHiNg. UnTiL tHeN dOn'T lEaVe ThIs PlAcE. iT aIn'T sAfE, yOu DiG?" Everyone looks at each other...

"Gamzee... have sweeps passed?" Equius asks at the floor. The others look at him confused and then at the floor for answers... It takes a while... until the classic Gamzee signature comes up.

":o)"

"Curse you."

"SoRrY bRo. I'lL sEe YaLl LaTeR. sLeEp GoOd AnD dOn'T mAkE a MoThErFuCkIn' SoUnD."

"GAMZEE YOU IDIOT!"

"K4RK4t."

"WHAT?!"

"G3T UP!"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT TEREZI?"

"G3T UP 4LR34DY!"

Everything gets dark and swirls. Karkat feels like he's fallen on the ground and he's laying on his back.

"K4RK4T J3SUS YOU SL33P L1K3 4 B4BY TRUMP3T B34ST!"

"WHA... WHAT?" Karkat opens his eyes and looks around... The lot of them are still in the desert... A lot of them are still laying down. Terezi and Equius are the only ones other than him awake.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?"

"It appears we were knocked out somehow. We haven't moved positions since we rested that first time."

"WHAT? ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

"Quite..."

"1T LOOKS L1KE G4MZ33 TOOK US FROM OUR BODI3S OR SOM3TH1NG AND SHOWED US STUFF IS ALL..."

"Why would he do that though? Why not just let us walk our way down there and actually experience it?"

Karkat thinks hard about why Gamzee would stop them here instead of letting them continue!...

"IT WAS SO REAL... IT WAS REAL..."

"BUT 1T W4SN'T..."

"How did he do that?... And I still don't know what he meant by ... absent. We've been absent..."

"WELL," Karkat sits up and scratches his head that now had a pain that felt like a small lump on his head from the apparent fall. "HE ALMOST TOLD US STRAIGHT UP THAT WE WERE GONE FOR A FEW SWEEPS."

"That's what I thought... It wouldn't make sense though..."

"It w0uld actually." Aradia sits up and looks over at them.

"The Handmaid made the p0rtal that we went thr0ugh. She c0uld have placed it and had it take us t0 a time in the future. I'm n0t sure h0w far int0 the future th0ugh..."

"GOD DANGIT... CAN'T ANYTHING NOT INVOLVE FUCKING TIME TRAVLE FOR TEN GOD DANG MINUTES?! WHY CAN'T WE JUST CATCH A BREAK FOR A COUPLE SWEEPS AT LEAST?!"

"We did... Alth0ugh we were a little late t0 enj0y it." Karkat hits the ground with his fists and Terezi just sits down and rests her head on her hand which rests on her knee.

"1 S33 NO PO1NT 1N B31NG 4NGRY 4BOUT 1T K4RKL3S."

"I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU CALL ME THAT AGAIN I'LL PUNCH YOUR TEETH OUT."

"OOOOH RUD3.~ 4NYW4Y 1 R3ST MY C4S3. W3 C4N ONLY G3T ON W1TH 1T."

"IT'S HARD TO TRY AND GET ON WITH ANYTHING WHEN THERE IS A FUCKING JUGGALO CLOWN MESSING WITH US LIKE THIS TEREZI."

"W3'V3 H4D WORS3 PROBL3MS DON'T YOU TH1NK? WORS3 TH4N TH1S 34S1LY."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE THIS SUCK ANY LESS."

"1 GU3SS YOU H4V3 4 PO1NT TH3R3." Terezi sighs...

"W3LL YOU KNOW, M4YB3 W3 4LL R34LLY W3R3 TH3R3 H1D1NG 1N TH3 BUSH3S. M4YB3 W3 W3R3 1N TH4T H1V3 LOOK1NG 4T G4MZ33 WR1T3 4W4Y ON TH3 FLOOR 4ND W4LLS, 4ND M4YB3 H3 JUST T3L3PORT3D US OR SOM3TH1NG B4CK TO OUR OR1G1N4L SPOT?"

"Why would he do that? If we were already there and ready to settle in for a while why would he send us back?"

"He seemed t0 be having tr0uble with his area. Maybe s0me0ne was watching him 0r... maybe s0mething happened that f0rced his hand."

"Blast... so perhaps that's why we showed up to the gates so fast. Gamzee teleporting us or something of that nature."

"Unlikely... but n0t imp0ssible... I say unlikely because Gamzee has yet t0 sh0w us any s0rt 0f p0wer, even when we were playing the game."

"WAIT A SECOND, WHEN WE SAW HIM LAST HE WAS FIGHTING THE GRAND HIGHFUCKER. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED TO HIM?"

"In all likelyh00d, Gamzee 0verp0wered the large man and killed him."

"IN ALL LIKELYHOOD? I DON'T WANNA SOUND LIKE A LOAD GAPPER CHUTE BUT GAMZEE GOT THE FUCK BEAT OUT OF HIM BY THAT GUY EVEN WHEN HE WAS FUCKING LOSING HIS MIND FROM THE SOPOR. HIS THINK PAN WAS SO FUCKED UP AND HE WAS SO STRONG BUT HE STILL GOT BEAT UP, AND I GUESS I'M TRYING TO SAY THAT I DOUBT THAT HE'D SUDDELY GET ALL SORTS OF POWERFUL AND JUST FUCKING... WIN LIKE THAT."

"Perhaps the highbl00d lead t0 his 0wn d00m by teaching him his tricks and training him the way he did... He built his own killer."

They're all quiet, still thinking about everything. So they really DO have to walk all that way. Damn.

"WELL I GUESS WE BETTER WAKE EVERYONE UP."

"I'm... I'm awake." Nepeta rolls over and then sits up, rubbing her head. The others slowly start to wake up and all just look at each other...

"Time ta get wwalkin' I guess..." Eridan adjusts his new glasses he got a few days ago and stands up, dusts himself off, then helps up Feferi and Kanaya. The others stand up and brush the desert sand and dust from their clothes and skin and then all look to the city that's still a long ways off...

"We'd better hurry then! If that was Sollux then we have to get there and help him!" Nepeta throws her fist in the air and Feferi nods.

"I dunno what's going on here exactly, but we're going to figure it out!" Off to the side, Vriska is busy thinking hard about what they just witnessed... They'd been absent... someone called Gamzee in the portal SIR... Does he run something in the city? He's a highblood subjuggulator so that's pretty likely... Why was Sollux in that line with everyone else if Condy snatched him up in the first place?... How did Gamzee make that place? And then make it disappear? What the fuck was with those damn chairs? How did he know what the inside of everyone's room looked like? Why not include his own room?

"Vriska, c0me 0n, we're g0ing."

"Huh? Oh yeah sure, coming." Aradia waits for Vriska to catch up to her when she notices Tavros... Tavros is gone?

"Hey! Where did pupa go?"

"WHAT?" Karkat looks around and...

"WHAT THE FUCK, TAVROS? WHERE THE HELL... TAVROS! HEEEEY!" Everyone looks around, becoming more frantic as they go.

"1 DON'T SM3LL H1M 4T 4LL! H3'S TOT4LLY GON3!"

"Howw the fuck did that happen?!"

"Perhaps... Gamzee Took Him During That Dream We Just Had?"

"1'D SUR3 LIK3 1T 1F H3'S JUST S4Y SOM3TH1NG! H1S... 4NT1CS 4R3 R34LLY G3TT1NG ON MY N3RV3S."

"Maybe he couldn't tell us! Maybe that's why he put us to sleep!"

"WAS TAVROS EVEN... WITH US IN THE DREAM?"

"He was, I helped him inside when we were going into that hive, and then I closed the door 8ehind us."

"Perhaps is was then that Tavr0s was taken."

"Do ya think... he's okay? I mean, wwe don't knoww anything about this neww world."

"I think if Gam gam took Tavros with him then he's just fine!" Nepeta nods enthusiastically and puts her hands on her hips.

"Now let's stop talking and get over there already!" She walks faster than the others and then starts to run.

"NEPETA DON'T JUST RUN OFF!"

"It's not like I'll get lost!"

"WERE YOU NOT JUST THERE WHEN GAMZEE KNOCKED US OUT AND SENT US TO DREAMY LALA LAND?! YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL!"

"Heehee! Are you worried about me Karkittyyyy?"

"NEPETA!"

"Ha! Come on then, chase meeeee!"

With a sigh Karkat just runs after her and the others follow.

()

"HAAAAA!" Gamzee swings his club down on the Highblood's head and knock him over!

"Runt! You're DEAD!"

"I'm AlReAdY dEaD mOtHeRfUcKeR. cArE tO tRy AgAiN?" The Highblood gets on one knee and swings sideways at Gamzee, only for him to dodge by jumping straight into the air.

"I taught you well it looks like!"

"NaH, yOu DiDn'T tEaCh Me JaCk ShIt! If YaLl GeT yOuR rEmEmBeR oN, i'M tHe OnE wHo KiCkEd YoUr AsS eVeN bEfOrE wE sHoWeD uP oN tHiS bItCh! AlL /yOu/ DiD wAs FuCk My ShIt Up. AnD nOw I'm GoNnA fUcK uP /yOuR/ sHiT mOtHeRfUcKeR!" Highblood squints and then falls backwards and disappears! Gamzee lands on the ground and looks at where the Highblood fell... A giant black hole...

"Gamzee."

"WhAt?" Gamzee looks behind him... The Handmaid stands there.

"WhAt ArE yOu DoIn' HeRe BiG sIs? AiNt YoU gOtTa HeLp ThE oThErS?"

"Y0u... I still d0n't kn0w what it is ab0ut y0u... but y0u are what y0ur friends need t0 m0ve 0n... The Highbl00d has been transp0rted t0 the w0rld he came fr0m bef0re hitting y0u all at the veil. Y0u must g0 there t00..."

"WhAt? HoW cOmE?"

"I d0n't have time. Y0u will n0t see me again. This w0rld will fl00d any m0ment n0w and y0u have t0 g0."

"FlOoD? tHeN wHy CaN't We JuSt GeT tHe OtHeRs ToO?!"

"I'm glad t0 see y0u w0rried ab0ut y0ur friends, h0wever y0u d0n't have time f0r this either. Y0u must g0 n0w!" A powerful force blasts Gamzee back into the darkness.

"NAH WAIT!" He falls through and disappears, the hole closing...

Gamzee flails through the Darkness and then lands hard on his back... He coughs, dust filling his lungs. But he doesn't lay there long. Gamzee stands up and looks around frightened.

"NO! I gOtTa GeT bAcK tO tHeM! wHaT iF tHeY nEeD mY hElP?! pLeAsE yO, yOu GoTtA dO sOmEtHiN'! dOn'T lEt 'Em DiE!"

All is quiet... no response, no sign...

Gamzee's heart drops... His friends... that he worked so hard to... protect. They're all gonna die in a god damn flood... and he can't even be there to die with them...

"WhErE aRe YoU bItCh?! TaKe Me BaCk!"

His screams don't even echo...

He looks back and around to see if the Highblood had already landed... but he didn't see him either... All he could see was a flat desert wasteland... Dust and cracked sand... not a thing in sight...

Wait...

A city?

"I aIn'T lEtTiN' yOu GeT aWaY yOu GoD dAmN mOtHeRfUcKeR." Gamzee breaks into a total sprint, full of anger and sadness. He's the only one left of his friends, and he's gonna do as much right by them as possible! God dammit!

"I jUsT lEfT tAv LiKe ThAt, AfTeR aLl I fUcKiN' pUt HiM aNd ThE oThErS tHrOuGh, I fUcKiNg LeFt! GoD dAmN i'M sTuPiD! sO sTuPiD! dAmN tHiNk PaN sTiLl NoT wOrKiN' rIgHt!"

Even a highblood can only run so much for so long... Night falls and Gamzee gets so so tired... He's used so much energy and spilled so many emotions that he simply stops and collapses to his knees, the sand blowing in the soft wind that goes by. He breathes hard, trying to get air into his lungs faster so he can continue, but he legs won't let him stand up...

All Gamzee can do is sit there and try to catch his breath...

No! Fuck that!

Gamzee forces himself with all of the will he can muster and makes his fucking legs move. He can't run, but he can at least walk. Walking and walking and walking through this awful hard desert ground...It's freezing ass balls too and he's colder than fuck... But he can't stop just because of that.

Throughout the night Gamzee can only think of different ways he wants to kill the Highblood... Kill him so hard for what he's started... During the night he also realizes he's quite alive now. He can't feel the amazing amount of power he did when he was dead...

Eventually he falls asleep on his side curled up as tight as he can to himself... But he can't sleep for long when nightmares wake him from a dead sleep... The sun is only barely rising and making the sky go red... This place is much more like Alternia than the last world was. The sky stays dark and protects everyone from the harsh sun...

Ah, no time to be thinking of such things. He's got a Highblood motherfucker to kill. Gamzee gets up before it gets hot and starts walking, testing his sleepy body and willing himself to continue... It takes him another entire day of running and walking on and off. It's almost night time again when Gamzee collapses from the heat... It's so hot... Even though the sun can't be seen it makes things so much more humid and unbearable... this is even WORSE than Alternia ever was. Gamzee has never felt such intense humidity before... It makes him want to choke. He lays there and groans in pain from his muscles being forced to work so hard in such heat and just waits for night to fall.

FINALLY finally after a couple hours of absolute heat torture, it cools down and starts to get darker...

Gamzee gets up and continues and continues and continues... until finally the front gates of this damn city appear before him... It sorta makes him happy... but also makes him sick at the same time.

Familiar clown tents surround many places, bright colors and swirls and dots and stripes are everywhere! It reminds him of what he saw on the internet of where his caste of people would usually stay, if they were ever social and civil enough to not destroy each other the moment they laid eyes on one another. But this... he knows what this is... this is The Grand Highblood's city... the place he has control over...

"TiMe To WrEcK sOmE mOtHeRfUcKeRs ShIt Up." Walking through the front gates would prooobably not be the wisest idea. Even for his half sopor depraved think pan he can at least think like a normal person. He scouts the whole area. As much as he can anyway. The whole place is surrounded by a gigantic blue brick wall with arrow spikes on the top of it every couple inches...

Drip.

Drip?

Drip.

"ThE fUcK?" Gamzee wipes his nose a little and looks up. Dark clouds have formed... He didn't even notice. They weren't anywhere near him or even near the city an hour ago when he'd arrived. Drip drip drip.

"Ow! HeY nOw!" Gamzee looks at his arms and sleeves to see them... melting! They're sizzling and burning him! FUCK he's gotta find somewhere to hide FAST. He runs around quickly, acid rain burning him even more. Eventually he spots a small entrance in the side and he runs in. Everyone inside is running around with cloths over their heads and horns, lusi covering their hatchlings and small wrigglers and running inside. It looks like not even the people who live here know when that shit's gonna show up.

"GoTtA gEt InSiDe!" Gamzee looks around and sees a place that looks abandoned! SWEET. He runs up the few stairs and busts right in the door of the old hive, slamming the door shut behind him...

"PhEw! DaMn GoTtA gEt ThIs ShIt OfFa Me." He takes off his shirt and pants and shoes and just leaves his goofy pink red hearted boxers on. The place looks so old... Everything has a thick coat of dust over it. Yuck. Gamzee looks around and knocks on the walls like he's see in some of Karbro's mystery romcom movies. And JESUS FUCK WOULDJYA LOOKIT THAT! A real life hidden compartment! The only things inside of it are old ass moldy cleaning supplies...

"EuCh... WeLp LoOkS lIkE i'Ve GoTtA wAiT oUt ThE sToRm An DeAl WiTh It." The squared windows somehow hold off the acid and it looks like everything outside is okay too. Looks like this place is mostly higher bloods. Some teal bloods maybe... Not a spot of any lowbloods though. They're probably in separate little villages or some shit... Man...This sucks...

Gamzee looks back at the wide empty space... all by himself... Just like it used to be... only now he doesn't have the calming waters to help him sleep... and no husktop to talk to his friends... and now not even friends...

He's totally alone...


	5. The not yet so Grand Highblood

LAST TIME ON NEW GENERATION

()

"I think if Gam gam took Tavros with him then he's just fine!"

()

Gamzee looks back at the wide empty space... all by himself... Just like it used to be... only now he doesn't have the calming waters to help him sleep... and no husktop to talk to his friends... and now not even friends...

He's totally alone...

()()

The next day Gamzee hasn't even slept... His burns kept him awake. There was no comfortable position to sleep in and nothing but the hard dusty floor to sleep on. The sun hides behind the dark sky and he gets dressed in his now super DUPER fucked up acid holy clothes, and he walks outside... There are a few morning people, mostly older trolls enjoying life... others are fighting in the streets, typical, and there are some wrigglers running off to be schoolfed. Boy is he glad he didn't go to get schoolfed. Ruinin' his miracles and shit. Eh oh well. Now he had to find something to fix his messed up acid rained on self. He walks around and looks at all the buildings and all the trolls... It was strange to see so many adults...

As he walks he notices others do well to keep out of his way. It confuses him for a little while... but he just ignores it and finds some place that looks like a hospital. It's small since no one would normally go to a hospital unless they planned on sending someone else there and warning the staff as a joke. He goes to the front desk lady and she looks up at him with wide blue eyes.

"Y-yes sir what can I do for you?"

"Yo YoU gOt AnYtHiNg FoR tHaT wEiRd RaIn ThAt HaPpEnEd LaSt NiGhT? iT bUrNs AnD iT aLl Up AnD fUcKeD uP mY oNlY pAiR oF cLoThEs."

"You... you don't have a teges?"

"ThE hElL iS a TeGeS?" The woman looks at him oddly... but she knows better than to anger a subjuggulator...

"Here I'll go get you one. It's a cloth that shields you from the rain. Are you... not from this city?"

"NaH iT's SoRt Of A lOnG sToRy. I jUsT nEeD sOmE bAnDaIdS oR sOmE sHiT aNd SoMe NeW cLoThEs."

"I'll get you taken care of! This way!" She gets up and opens the side door for him and then leads him towards the back. Everything looks so... clean. It's weird since he's hardly ever been in such a sanitary place... The woman leads him into another room and tells him to sit down and then leaves. Not a minute later the woman comes back with new clothes and some other bandages and ointment and what not.

"Alright first I'll have to fix up your rain wounds. Please remove your clothes." Gamzee squints at her a little and she recoils, waiting to be struck or something.

"HeY sToP dOiN' tHaT. yOu ThInK i'M gOnNa BeAt Ya Up Or SoMe ShIt?"

"You're... not going to?"

"WeLl NaH!" Gamzee carefully takes off his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers on. And like a dork, his socks and shoes as well.

"I'm... sorry. But I have to remove your make up... to tend to the wounds on your face."

"Aw ShIt. WeLl, If Ya GoTtA, tHeN sUrE."

"What? You..." She seems genuinely confused and baffled by Gamzee...

"W-would you like a wicked elixir sir?"

"FuCk, YoU gOt SoMe? I aIn'T hAd A mOtHeRfUcKiN fAyGo In A wHiLe AnD i NeEd It SoMeThInG aWfUl." Again the woman looks confused and runs off. Gamzee is pretty confused himself! The guys here must not be all that nice... Oh yeah. Subjuggulators... He didn't grow up around any and the only contact with another troll of his color was the Grand Highblood. If guys are like that here then there's gonna be some shit goin' go down eventually...

The lady comes back with a few different flavors and sets them down quickly and then starts wetting a cloth to remove his make-up. Gamzee grabs the purple one faster than he can blink and cracks that thing open, feeling better just hearing the hissing of the carbonation--- I MEAN... the miracles. He swings the bottle up and drinks it so fast the woman looks back with slight shock. Gosh he really /hasn't/ had something in a while.... She wonders what sort of situation he's been in... but it's none of her business.

"AaAaAaH!" The whole liter is gone already and he lets out a large echoing burp.

"ThAt Is SoMe MiRaCuLoUs ShIt RiGhT tHeRe MoThErFuCkEr. GoD dAmN."

"I'm glad I was able to help you. Now here, please remove your make up....." She looks a little nervous, asking a purple blood to remove his makeup.... It would be "blasphemy" if it weren't for it being totally fucked up and needin' redoing in the first place.

"Ah, YeAh, SuRe." Gamzee takes the cloth from the woman and wipes his face totally clean, thinking almost nothing of.

"Ow, MoThErFuCk, ThAt HuRtS..."

"I'm sorry. Now let me fix you up. Do you mind if I ask your name?"

"My NaMe Is GaMzEe MaKaRa." The blue blooded troll leans back with surprise.

"Y-You're a Makara? I should have known! Y-your sign!"

"LoOk LaDy, I aIn'T gOnNa LaY nO mOtHeRfUcKiN hEaVy HaNdS oN yOu AlRiGhT? yEaH iT's A hElLa LoNg StOrY. oNe I aIn'T gOt TiMe To TeLl A mOtHeRfUcKeR. lIsTeN, i AiN't FrOm HeRe OkAy? DoEs ThE gRaNd MoThErFuCkEr RuN tHiS bItCh TiTs CiTy Of YoUrS?" Gamzee looks at her the whole time she dabs the rain wounds and tries to talk quietly to her.

"I... I noticed you were wearing the typical Alternian clothes for one... younger than you. Yes the Grand Highblood Makara does own our city..."

"WhAt'S uP wItH tHaT nAsTy RaIn FaLlIn' OuTtA tHoSe SpEeDy ClOuDs?"

"Those have been here for longer than the city's even been around. I'm not sure why they built us in such an awful place..."

"PrObAbLy To KeEp MoThErFuCkErS fRoM lEaViNg ThE cItY... tHeY aIn'T gOnNa SuRvIvE oUtSiDe Of ThE wAlLs FoR vErY lOnG iF tHeY lEaVe. EvEn WiTh ThOsE... wHaT'd YoU cAlL tHeM?

"A Teges."

"YeAh, EvEn WiTh OnE a ThEm ThErE aIn'T nOtHiN' eLsE oUt ThErE. aLl SaNd AnD sHiT."

"Yes that sounds like something he'd do..."

"WhErE's ThE mOtHeRfUcKeR aT? i GoT mE a ScOrE tO sEtTlE wItH hIm."

"Are you... serious? Are you going to try and... overthrow him?" Her blue eyes go pretty big, her eyebrows pulling together. This hasn't even been talked about for longer than she's been alive!

"LiKe I tOlD yOu. I gOt A sCoRe To SeTtLe." The lady treats all of the wounds she finds on Gamzee and then wraps up some of the worst ones.

"Well..."

"I'lL bE cArEfUl. I wOn'T lOsE." Gamzee's eyes narrow a little, just thinking about cutting that guys head off gets him riled up.

"Now, here are your new clothes. Your other ones are too damaged to keep and they're also not used around here anymore. I wouldn't want you to stick out and get in trouble...." She hands him folded clothes and then goes to the door.

"I'll wait until you're dressed." The woman leaves and shuts the door behind her, leaving Gamzee to look at the clothes. On the very top are two forearm protectors, black with purple dots on them, a black hoodie. The hood is purple with purple ribs on the chest and dots that are supposed to look like the spinal cord are down the zipper part, while there are horizontal purple stripes on the arms down the elbow where the sleeve ends. The pockets are lined with purple and have his capricorn sign in the center of it. His pants are almost exactly the same as the ones he came in with, dark grey with slightly lighter grey dots scattered on it. Finally there are boots that look like they could survive a massive walk. Which is nice because Gamzee's been walking, running and fighting in converse shoes that are older than he is he thinks... So this is a pretty awesome change.

After a few minutes of getting these new clothes on, he stretches and moves around in everything and then buckles his boots up their center.

"DaMn ThEsE aRe SoMe SwEeT mOtHeRfUcKiN' tHrEaDs Yo." The lady knocks and peeks in.

"Ah they look good! Do they fit you alright?"

"PeRfEcT aCtUaLlY."

"I'm so glad! Can I ask what you're gonna do now?"

This thought hardly needs time to process for Gamzee, even though he's still recovering from that crazy sopor torture...

"I'm GoNnA cUlL tHaT gRaNd HiGhBlOoD mOtHeRfUcKeR."

"So you were serious... Well... I wish you luck Mr. Makara."

"ThAnKs LaDy. Do YoU kNoW wHeRe I'm SuPpOsEd To BuY fOoD oR wHaTeVeR?"

"You subjuggulators don't pay for anything. You can just take it."

"WeLl... If YoU sAy So. ThAnKs AgAiN. i'Ll Be GoIn'." He gives her a little nod and wave then walks out. Anyone he passes gets the hell out of his way immediately and don't make eye contact with him at all. Some seem even more scared by his new outfit. He doesn't really get it but... maybe he can get things done faster this way.

Gamzee leaves the hospital and looks around at everyone. They continue to avoid eye contact. Oh well. He goes down the street to a vendor who's yelling out low prices and threatening anyone who's a lower blood than him and forcing them to pay for things.

"Ey, StOp ThAt ShIt, LeAvE 'eM aLoNe. If ThEy AiN't WaNt NoNe Of YoUr StUfF tHeN yA aIn'T gOtTa FoRcE 'eM." The man looks at Gamzee walking over at him and stands straight, letting go of the older male trolls wrist. The elderly troll looks over at Gamzee and then looks at his feet.

"Sir I can't make a business unless people buy my merch!"

"WeLl I wOuLdN't CoMe BaCk To YoUr PlAcE iF yOu KePt DoIn' ThAt To Me EvErY tImE i PaSsEd By."

"You don't buy stuff anyway ya damn highblood!" Gamzee isn't at all bothered by this since he basically sorta grew up with his multi colored friends- but someone else doesn't seem to enjoy it much. A giant axe is swung over the old man's head and chops off the vendor's head. THIS surprises Gamzee. He turns around to see who did it, and it's another subjuggulator. This is the first one he's seen other than the highblood! This one has short hair, but it's spiked rather crazily, messy, curly... He has long lanky arms and his outfit covers minimal skin. Skin that shows is painted on and his sign is scared onto his abdomen. The guys face is painted like that of a sad clown.

"Heeey runt. Where the fuck is your paint?" So it looks like runt was a name they call all younger subjuggulators?

"Ah ShIt BrO lOoKs LiKe I fOrGoT tO pUt It BaCk On BeFoRe I lEfT tHaT pLaCe."

"No reeeal subjuggulator FORGETS their motherfuckin' paint no matter what. Get over here you dummy." This giant guy grabs Gamzee's arm and yanks him. The old man runs up and grabs the man's arm!

"No sir! I beg that you forgive him!" The giant subjuggulator doesn't even respond with words, instead swinging his second axe down. Gamzee uses his free arm to summon one of his white spiked clubs and swings up, blocking the axe and nearly overpowering the other man.

"WHAT?"

"LeAvE hIm AlOnE." Gamzee glares hard at the other guy... who only makes a disgusting sharp toothed grin.

"Wanna gooo punk?"

"NaH. jUsT tAkE mE wHeReVeR yAlL wAnNa AnD lEaVe ThE oLd GuY aLoNe."

"You gotta me fuckin' with me! Did you fuckin just tell me what to do runt?"

"YoU aRe MoThErFuCkIn' RiGhT."

"The fuck's your name?"

"GoD dAmN mOtHeRfUcKiN gAmZeE mAkArA." The other troll instantly lets Gamzee go and steps back a few steps.

"No way." He takes a look at Gamzee's sign on his hoodie and his eyes go huge...

"I ain't never seen you around here before! Where'd you come from?"

"MaYbE tHe MeSsIaH's SeNt Me HeRe To TeAcH yOu MoThErFuCkErS a LeSsOn. In FaCt, I aLrEaDy SaW tHe MeSsIaH's. ThEy ToLd Me LoTs Of StUfF bEfOrE i GoT hErE. nOw. WhErE iS tHe BiGgEsT mOtHeRfUcKeR hUh?"

"You want me to take you to the Grand Highblood?..." His eyes now go huge.

"He just got back all pissed off... was that you?"

"ThAt'D bE mE. nOw LiKe I sAiD, tAkE mE tO hIm. I aIn'T sCaReD tO cUlL yOu MoThErFuCkEr." Gamzee points his first spiked white club at the guy and summons his second one to appear more intimidating. This was working out sorta okay so far. The dude's eyes go huge, unsure of what to do. Normally he'd attack this brat and teach him what it means to be a full-fledged subjuggulator, but he's a Makara, and the only other Makara was the Grand Highblood!... This kid fucked him up just good enough to have the others worried. No, worried isn't the right word. ANGRY AS ALL FUCK would be the right way to put it.

"I... No fuckin way! You did all that to the Highblood?!" By now the yelling and words used has caused a small crowd of brave listeners on the street. Others stay in their homes or business and listen through the windows.

"I hAd SoMe HeLp. A lOt Of GrEaT hElP..."

"I ain't lettin' you near him! How god damn DARE YOU attack him! You think a runt like you is gonna over take him huh?! I don't think so!"

"WeLl ThEn YoU'd BeTtEr ThInK hArDeR mOtHeRfUcKeR. i AiN't TrYiN' tO gEt HiS sPoT, i'M oUt To KiLl HiM fOr WhAt He'S dOnE tO mE aNd My FrIeNdS!"

"FRIENDS? A kid like you?! What sorta friends do YOU have?!"

"I sWeAr To ThE mIrThFuL mEsSiAh'S, iF yOu SaY aNyThInG aSkEw AbOuT mY mOtHeRfUcKiN fRiEnDs, I'lL lOp YoUr GoD dAmN hEaD oFf YoUr ShOuLdErS."

"Chya! I'd like to see a kid like you try!" This guy almost instantly regrets this. This kid did damage to the GRAND HIGHBLOOD and this kid... well he can't tell if he's really hurt anywhere... ah wait. He's got some cuts on his faces. Older ones... Hm.

"Hmmm... Heeey runt." He holds out his hand and a tin appears in it.

"Want some sopor?" Gamzee's eyes go wide. Oh no... this guy.

"YoU'rE gOnNa HaVe To ShOvE tHaT dOwN mY tHrOaT!"

"Oh, looks like I'm gonna have to now! Did your fucking lusus give you the right fuckin subjuggulator treatment?" That was it. He's talking about his goat dad now. It's on.

Gamzee dashes at the bigger troll and swings at lightning speed. The other blocks and a cloud of sand puffs up from the ground in a circle around them from the force. He's surprised that this kid has such power. No wonder. NO, NEVER DOUBT THE GRAND HIGHBLOOD.

Gamzee uses his second club to swing up and slice open the other guy pretty good, up from his left leg up to his shoulder. The guy yells and steps back. Gamzee lands and jumps back a little and points the now slightly slightly slightlyyyy lower purple blood at him.

"YOU FUCKING RUNT! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"YoU gOt OnE mOrE cHaNcE mOtHeRfUcKeR. tAkE mE tO tHe GrAnD mOtHeRfUcKeR aNd I wOn'T kIlL yOu." The other guy yells and comes at him quickly. Gamzee takes his chance to swing and cut the bigger trolls legs totally off at the knees. The larger troll falls over next to Gamzee screaming in agony.

"I'lL yOu OnE. mOrE. fUcKiNg. TiMe. WhErE iS hE?"

"I'd never sell out the Grand Highblood to a fucking brat like you!" Gamzee grabs the guy by one of his stump legs, dragging him around town with him screaming in pain. Oddly enough, this felt totally normal for him... He thinks it's maybe his violent blood that makes him okay with this... It's a little disturbing... but he doesn't even think past that. All he can think about is getting the information he wants any way he fucking can. An hour or so later, the screams die down and eventually stop. Gamzee looks back and the troll is dead, bleeding even more from being dragged for so long. Oh yeah and from intense blood loss from the legs.

"Yo. Is AnYoNe ElSe WiLlInG tO tElL mE wHeRe ThE mOtHeRfUcKiNg HiGhBlOoD iS hUh?" Several people point faster than bodies should allow to a tent in the distance.

"ThAnKs." Gamzee drops the guy's leg and puts his clubs away. He's already bloody and he's only been here for a while. He walks past many people, lusi pulling their wrigglers out of his path, elderly stepping aside as fast as they can... Gamzee sees nothing but the path in front of him...

Uuuuuntil his stomach growls and wakes him right out his trance that he didn't quite get that he was in.

"WeLl ShIt. HoW'd I uP aNd GeT oVeR hErE?... fUcK i'M hUnGrY... i FoRgOt To GeT fOoD fRoM tHaT gUy EaRlIeR..."

"Y-you can eat here mister!" A small little girl troll waves at him to the fright of the older trolls inside eating. One adult smacks her.

"If YoU fUcKiNg HiT hEr AgAiN i'Ll KiLl YoU." Gamzee walks up and the man covers his head, accidentally splatting his face in his food. The little girl looks back from the man to Gamzee with wide eyes...

But Gamzee smiles at her and holds his non bloody hand to her.

"SuRe SqUiRt I'lL uP aNd SeE wHaT yOu GuYs HaVe. I'm StArViNg' LiKe A mOtHeRfUcKeR." The little teal blooded girl smiles and leads him inside proudly! A highblood is holding her hand and being nice to her! The adults are rightfully not so trust worthy as they've seen many wrigglers get culled right there by highbloods. But of course Gamzee is too hungry to even fathom such an idea. The little girl walks up to the front counter, lets go of Gamzee's hand, ducks under the counter from the side then steps up on a stool to a register and smiles. At her side is a cup full of colored markers.

"What would you like today mister Highblood sir?"

"Aw, NoNe Of ThAt, CaLl Me GaMzEe."

"Gamzee then!" The little girl smiles super wide her baby fangs protruding a litle. she's got small branch like horns and high pigtails behind each horn, leaving most of her shoulder length black hair down. She wears an overall dress with socks and penny shoes.

Gamzee looks up at what he assumes is the menu... but...

"Uh... I dOn'T uNdErStAnD wHaT aNy Of ThAt StUfF sAyS."

"W-what?... You can't read?"

"NaH i GuEsS i DoN't. WeLl I rEaD sOmEtHiNg ElSe, BuT nOt WhAtEvEr ThAt Is." The girl is now stunned. A subjuggulator who can't read is a little weird.

"U-uh well... what CAN you read?"

"It SoRtA lOoKs LiKe ThIs HeRe, SeE?" Gamzee takes a purple marker of his blood color and writes out some words. The girls black eyes look at it all confused... then excited!

"Cool! You read and write in a difference language! I hardly ever see that! Well then I'll read the menu to you!" She reads out some orders and points to them, describing that as she goes.

"Aw ShIt I sEe. OkAy CoOl!" Gamzee asks for a couple things and the girl writes them down and then runs to the back with the paper. She comes back and ducks under the counter again instead of just lifting the little flap thing and takes his hand, leading him to a table to wait.

"So! Where'd ya come from? You're not from here at all if you don't even read our language! Are those new clothes? They look cool! Ooh, did you cull someone? They were a subjuggulator too! What did they do?!"

"WeLl SlOw DoWn KiDdO. lEt'S sEe... I cAmE fRoM aLtErNiA... bUt I lIvEd By MySeLf So I wAs NeVeR eVeR aRoUnD oThEr TrOlLs. I sOrTa LiKeD iT tHaT wAy. My LuSuS wAs NeVeR aRoUnD sO wHeN hE gAvE mE mY oWn HuSkToP i FiNaLlY gOt To TaLk To SoMe OtHeR mOtHeRfUcKeRs ArOuNd ThE wOrLd. EvErYoNe ElSe UsEd ThE wOrDs AnD lEtTeRs I uSe AnD tHaT's HoW i LeArNeD tO rEaD aNd WrItE tHeM. i HaD tO dO vOiCe ChAtS tO gEt HeLp PrOnOuNcIn' ShIt. AnD yEaH tHeSe ArE sOmE pReTtY sWeEt NeW cLoThEs I gOt At ThE hOsPiTaL pLaCe. My OtHeR cLoThEs GoT fUcKeD uP iN tHe RaIn. I... gUeSs I cUlLeD a MoThErFuCkEr. He TrIeD hUrTiN' aN oLd MaN aNd He WoUlDn'T tElL mE wHeRe ThE gRaNd HiGhBlOoD wAs So I gUeSs I sOrTa..." Gamzee looks down at his bloody hand, still sticky and frowns... The little girl frowns a little too.

"Aw I didn't mean to make you sad Gamzee... I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else! Hmmmm..."

"WeLl MaYbE yOu CaN tElL mE mOrE sTuFf AbOuT tHiS pLaCe HuH?" A small taxed smile slips onto Gamzee's face to try and lighten the mood and the girl smiles and nods.

"Good idea! First of all my name is Levina! I'm three and a half sweeps old and I've lived here my whooole life! The rain is said to be sent by the messiah's as punishment of the past residents of this town! The ancestors of the ones who messed up all live here in this town and we're being blamed for their mistake! Lots of people have died from the rain, but we learned to make a cloth called a teges that protects from the acid! I don't know how, but I'm not complaining! The lowest caste that lives here is my color! Teal! The lowbloods are way too scared to trek the desert and live anywhere near the grand highblood or any other subjuggulators! Which around here is normal. The subjuggulators are really super mean and they kill someone every day. We're only able to repopulate because of the beautiful mother grub! The Highblood has been gone for a long time because one day he used some of the yellow bloods powers to shoot him up into the stars on a super duper big rock with a building on it! It's like they ripped it right from the ground! Maybe they did! But ever since then he's been gone."

"Huh... yeah he came over to the veil outside of alternia to attack me and my friends..."

"I can't believe you lived on Alternia! That place is ancient! Are the stories true? All the adults were banned from there? You were one of the kids left there then?"

"YeP. a FuCk ToN oF uS kIdS wErE lEfT wItHoUt AdUlTs. WhIcH iS aLrIgHt WiTh Me BeCaUsE iT lOoKs LiKe EvErY mOtHeRfUcKeR iS pReTtY sHiTtY aS aN aDuLt... I dId MeEt SoMe PrEtTy AlRiGhT aDuLtS tHoUgH... iT's A lOnG sToRy AnD i'D rAtHeR nOt Go InTo It..."

"That's okay! Oh, here's your food!" Levina gets up quicklynd runs to the counter, where she picks up the tray of food and brings it over to him.

"Is this food anything like what you used to eat-" Gamzee digs into his food like a wild animal, using his hands to rip and his teeth to tear. He had no idea he was this hungry. Levina just sits there across from him and watches with wide eyes, along with everyone else in the place. She sees that this wont' be nearly enough food so she goes in the back and yells at the cooks that they need a couple more trays of stuff, and by golly they pump that stuff out super fast! She and another cook run back with the trays and then only stand there and watch as Gamzee scarfs everything down...

An hour and a half later Gamzee's finished off several more trays of food and he sits there with a full belly.

"EeEeEeEeEeEuUuUuUgGhH.~ DaMn If ThAt WaSn'T tHe BeSt FoOd I eVeR aTe."

"W-Wow you really were hungry huh?"

"BeFoRe ThIs I wAs On An IsLaNd WiThOuT fOoD fOr ... HmMm... I rEmEmBeR a CoUpLe WeEkS wE wErE tRaPpEd On A sHiP aNd ThEn We WeRe On An IsLaNd FoR... a CoUpLe MoRe WeEkS... tHe OnLy ThInG i WaS aBlE tO hAvE wAs A fEw UnCoOkEd SlImE pIeS... tHoSe WeRe SoMe BaD wEeKs LeT mE tElL yA..."

"W-whoa an island? Who was giving you the pies? Was it... was it the Grand highblood?"

"SuRe WaS. hE sAiD hE wAs TrAiNiNg Me To BeAt SoMeOnE eVeN lIkE hIm..."

"Oh gosh... I heard that was a terrible experience!... Well now you're here with a full belly!"

"I aIn'T nEvEr HaD nO fUlL bElLy BeFoRe. ThAnKs A bUnCh LeViNa."

"Of course! Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"I.. hMmM... yEaH i GuEsS i Do."

"Well good! But if you ever want to stay here with me you can! I can teach you how to read and write in Alternian! How do you not know Alternian if you lived there anyhow?"

"I nEvEr GoT sChOoLfEd. I lIvEd AlL bY mY mOtHeRfUcKiN' sElF oN tHe WaTeR. i NeVeR /wAnTeD/ tO gEt ScHoOlFeD. tHoUgHt It'D fUcK uP mY rEaLiTy AnD mY mIrAcLeS."

"Hmmm! You're really interesting Gamzee! I'll take you to where you're staying so you don't get too lost okay?"

"NaH tHaT's OkAy LiTtLe SiS. i DoN't WaNt No MoThErFuCkErS tO hUrT yA. yOu JuSt StAy HeRe AnD kEeP bEiN' aWeSoMe Ya HeAr? I'lL cOmE bAcK tO vIsIt."

"YAY! I'm so glad!" Levina claps her hands and smiles wider than her face should probably allow and jumps down from the booth seat.

"I'll see you later then!"

"I sUrE wIlL sQuIrT. yOu Up AnD wAtCh YoUrSeLf OuT hErE oKaY?" Gamzee stands up holding his belly with one hand and scratches his hip with the other and the girl stands back.

"I will! You be careful too! I can't wait to teach you stuff!" Gamzee nods at her and he walks out as they say their goodbyes. The whispers start and spread faster than a disease, and by the time Gamzee disappears into the shadows and back to the place he came from, nearly the whole city knows about the kind subjuggulator. Well, even though he already culled someone... he saved an old man twice and was nice to a wriggler instead of killing her like the lowblood she is.

Gamzee just lies down on the floor of his new hive and just... goes the fuck to sleep. He'll learn more as he goes...

Several weeks pass with Gamzee walking around, not exactly making friends, but showing everyone he won't hurt them like the other subjuggulators. He goes to see Levina every single day to be all learned up about language and shit. Levina's lusus, a tall deer, watches Gamzee closely every day to make sure nothing happens to his darling Levina... and after nearly a month of daily visits from Gamzee, he's nearly relaxed.

"No no no, see Gamzee this one you pronounce 'kew'"

"Aw ShIt Yo ThAt SoUnDs LiKe ThE lEtTeR q In ThE lAnGuAgE i WrItE iN."

"Well good! So use your own letter Q and remember what this one is. Pretend they're the same thing!"

"I'm GeTtIn' AlL lEaRnEd Up LiL sIs. ThAnKs FoR tAkIn' ThE tImE oUtTa YoUr LiFe To TeAcH mE sHiT."

"Absolutely! You're my favorite person in the whole world Gamzee! You're my best friend!" Gamzee looks up at her even more with slightly wide eyes... Best friend... Levina sees his unusual reaction and raises an eyebrow.

"Are... you okay Gamzee?"

"Y-yEaH i'M fInE. bUt It'S aCtUaLlY tImE i GeT bAcK hOmE."

"Wh-what?" She looks back at a clock and sees it is in fact time he leave.

"Well... okay then. Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Of CoUrSe I wIlL lIl SiS, dOn'T sWeAt It." He gets up and scratches her head a little, then walks out. Levina watches him and bites her black lips a little bit... Did she say something that made him sad?...

Ah she did of course... Best friend... That's what Karkat was to him... Gamzee runs back to the hive and people who see him walk this same path watch him in confusion. It's not like Gamzee to not be wearing a smiling leaving Levina's restaurant...

He runs up the steps and gets inside, then slides down the door and pulls his knees to his chest...

His friends are gone... They're all dead... and after all that he was FUCKING WORTHLESS AND COULDN'T SAVE THEM...

Best friend.

On this night, Gamzee cries hard into his fists, so angry and sad that he's alone in this new place without his friends. Without Tavros. Without Karkat. His purple tears make wet spots on his clothes until he falls asleep right there at the front door, head on his knees.

In the middle of the night, a loud crash shakes nearly the whole city and wakes Gamzee up that second. He looks around in confusion and momentary fright. But he gets up and wobbles over to the window, which is stupid because he can't see anything since the damn hive his hidden. So he runs to the door and out into the street and looks up. The man he's been looking for!

"Gaaaammzeeeee! Where are you URCHIIIINN!?" The Grand Highblood looks even more crazed than usual, his hair spikier and his energy exploding. No one is on the street, but people look from their windows at him and the Grand Highblood worried! Gamzee on the other hand finally runs faster than he ever has down the light dirt streets until he's at the highbloods feet!

"DoWn HeRe MoThErFuCkEr! DeCiDeD tO cOmE oUtTa HiDiNg DiDjYa?!" The enormous highblood looks down at him and doesn't waste any time swinging his hand down at Gamzee. Gamzee jumps quickly and swings his clubs at the hand to stop it from crushing some hives. Everyone starts running out of their hives away from the fight, some screaming in fear.

"G-Gamzee!" Levina is atop her deer lusus looking at him with complete fear.

"GeT oUtTa HeRe!" Before Levina protests, her lusus runs and bounds away quickly.

"GAMZEEEEE!"

The battle quickly gets violent as the Highblood summons his giant black club and swings down at Gamzee. Gamzee thinks about dodging, but that means all these hives would get ruined! So he jumps up again and swings as hard as he can and stops the giant club with his own strength! The force knocks the giant club back at the Highblood a little, giving Gamzee a chance to get up to him! He jumps again and rockets at the Highblood and swings, hitting him down right in the forehead, down into the ground into some tents!

"YOU MOTHERFUCKING BRAT!"

"WhAt'S uP wItH yOuR sUdDeN fUcKeRy? I bEeN lOoKiN' fEr YoU mOtHeRfUcKeR!"

"That just shows how STUPID YOU ARE. You WANT TO DIE ALONG WITH YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS?!"

Gamzee's eyes go HUGE, and then narrow and the color in his eyes explode with absolute FURY.

"YoU aRe GoNnA pAy FoR tHaT yOu SiCk FuCkEr!" Gamzee comes down finally from the air and uses the gravity to swing another blow into the Highbloods head, knocking him completely flat on his ass. But he doesn't stop there. He keeps slamming his clubs into the Highbloods face.

Before he knows it the fight is... the fight's over. He blacked out and now the Highblood's face is completely gone... Gamzee breaths hard and finally puts his clubs back and jumps off the Highbloods chest onto the ground...

All is quiet... People start slowly coming out of hiding and walking over in their bare feet to the sight... Some dare to touch the now dead body of the Grand highblood... and then go over to Gamzee.

The old man from the first day comes up to him bravely.

"Are you alright son?" Gamzee's quiet and doesn't even look up from the ground... But he does drop his clubs, which disappear...

"YeAh. I'm OkAy... I fInAlLy DiD iT tHoUgH mAn. I dId It. I fInAlLy CuLlEd ThAt MoThErFuCkEr... FoR wHaT hE dId. FoR wHaT hE cAuSeD." The old man nods a little and smiles, patting his back.

"Well. You know what this means right?"

"HuH? nO?... wHaT? wHaT's ThIs MeAn BrO?"

"You are the new Grand Highblood." Gamzee's eyes go huge and then notices people coming forward, closer to him...

"You killed the old one and as rules state, the troll of your caste that kills the reigning Highblood takes his place in the seat of power."

"Oh... Uh Oh." The old man laughs and pats his back again.

"It could be difficult. But I think you can do it."

"NaH, wAiT mAn I dOn'T kNoW hOw To RuN nO cItY aNd ShIt. WhY tHe RuLeS gOtTa Be LiKe ThAt?" Gamzee doesn't get another word in before trolls everywhere rush up to him and hug him and kiss his cheeks and cheer for him, throwing their hands in the air!

"WhOa WaIt A dAmN mInUtE!" No one can really hear him with all their screaming, but the old man just looks at him and nods. Gamzee stands there and then nods back, smiling at some people. The celebration hardly lasts very long though.

A huge group of subjuggulators all walk up... It's every subjuggulator in the city... They're all quiet, but the crowds part so fast they kick up dust, leaving Gamzee standing there still in front of the dead body of the elder Makara...

They all stare at him until one very large one comes up to him and looks down. Gamzee looks up at him with a sorta shocked look... B-BUT BUT BUT but he gets into the role of leader and gives him a look.

"AiGhT yOu. OpEn YoUr SoUnD rEcEiVeR hOlEs AnD lIsTeN uP. i FuCkIn OwN yAlL nOw. YoU kNoW wHo I aM nOw YeAh?" The larger subjuggulator stares at him, his almost KISS like make up... and then nods and gets down on one knee, putting both fists to the ground.

"You are the motherfuckin' boss. You're up and closer to the Messiah's than any motherfucker in the god damn universe my brother. We motherfuckers will follow your ass to the depths of hell and will crush all that get in your god damn way. Bow you fuckin' motherfuckers." All the subjuggulators bow the same way, fists to the ground and lower their heads. Gamzee's eyes go fuckin' huge... What was he supposed to do now?...

Oh...

OH.

He feels it... he's FUCKIN' FEELIN' IT. Gamzee's gaze narrows as he looks down at the larger troll. Yes he can look down at him now since he's bowing.

"GoOd. LiStEn To Me GoOd MoThErFuCkErS. lEaVe ThEsE pEoPlE aLoNe, Ya HeAr Me? AiN't No OnE dId NoThIn' To YoU. nOw. TaKe Me To OuR tEnT aNd GeT yOuR iNfOrMiN' oN." The first troll stands up straight, followed by the others.

"Fuck yeah. Thisaway then." He turns around and then goes to lead the way, but waits for Gamzee. Gam turns around to the others, seeing Levina in the front next to the old man. She waves a little... Gamzee smiles super wide at her and waves back, then gets to walking.

After a long long walk, the troll up front, who now appears to be second in command, a "high subjuggulator", gets to the front of the tent and opens it for him. Inside is what a classic circus tent looks like on the inside. This is the biggest tent and none of the other trolls follow in. It's the ring leaders place and ain't no motherfuckers allowed inside.

"Aight my man. What's yo name?"

"GaMzEe MaKaRa."

"Shit, you're even a Makara."

"WhAt WaS tHe OlD gUyS nAmE aNyHoW?"

"Well... to be honest with ya ain't no one really KNOWS his name, even though some trolls have said it was Kurloz."

"KuRlOz HuH?"

"Yep. He wasn't always like that. Which is stupid."

"HuH? lIkE wHaT? i'M sOrTa ExCiTeD tO lEaRn SoMe ShIt."

"You'll learn a lot once you get his skull." Gamzee's eyes go a little wide with surprise...

"HiS... sKuLl?"

"Not to be rude or some shit, but you're kinda dumb. You really have no idea about this Grand Highblood shit do you?"

"NaH mAn. I tHiNk YaLl GoT a LoT tO lEaRn AbOuT mE tOo ThOuGh."

"Hm. Guess so.. Anyway see that over there?" He points over to part of the tent where another skull is. It's a very small skull that's been cracked and painted on, the horns now a faded light brown color in comparison to its once bright orange and yellow colors.

"That is the Highblood before the one you just killed."

"ShIt ThAt AlMoSt LoOkS lIkE a TiNy WrIgGlEr Or SoMe ShIt."

"They were a little younger than you. I never met them since I weren't no subjuggulator yet. But it's tradition to take the skull of the last motherfucker you killed. It used to be that you'd wear their skull along with your paint. But old Makara changed it since of course that little thing wouldn't fit 'is fuckin' head. And you ain't gonna be able to wear his neither, so we're just gonna hang it."

"WhAt Do YoU dO wItH tHe OlD sKuLl ThEn?"

"Well... I heard they crushed them. But I also heard that they keep them somewhere out in space in a rift where aint no one can find 'em."

"HuH."

"Yep. Well motherfucker let me read you the rules."

"I kNoW mOsT oF 'eM."

"You SHOULD. Now listen here. I'm probably the least crazy motherfucker here so just deal with what I gotta say. Most of us are fuckin crazy and we usually keep 'em inside training and keepin' them busy and shit. But there are some ... uh... well, there are some that aren't as crazy okay? We respect each other and ain't none of us kill each other or attack each other ever. Unless the Grand highblood puts up a challenge to fight and beat him. That's the only time. If anyone ever attacked another subjuggulator, you HAVE to kill them, because that means they've up and lost their way and sight of the Mirthful Messiah's ya hear me?"

"U-Uh, YeAh. WhEn I fIrSt GoT hErE, a MoThErFuCkEr Up AnD tRiEd To SlUg Me."

"D'jya kill him?"

"Oh. YeAh I dId."

"Good. Trolls like that aint allowed to be with us. Anyway, we respect each other and we actually are a pretty decent... 'community' if you wanna call it that. Have you undergone your sopor trainin'?"

"Oh ShIt MaN... gRaNd MoThErFuCkEr TrIeD sOrTa... I dUnNo If It ReAlLy WoRkEd. I fUcKiN' hOpE iT dId BeCaUsE... tHaT sHiT sUcKs."

"Well we'll have to test ya and shit and make sure. If you aint up to par then we gotta do it ourselves."

"FuUuUuUcK."

"Lemmie finish dammit. When did you get those clubs?"

"H-hUh? ThEsE?" Gamzee brings them out and the other troll looks at them and squints at them.

"yeah those."

"'Ts A lOnG sToRy BrOtHeR. bUt BaSiCaLlY i DiEd AnD wHeN i CaMe BaCk I hAd ThEsE iNsTeAd Of My NoRmAl OnEs."

"You..."

"I'lL eXpLaIn LaTeR. kEeP gOiN'."

"Yeah sure... When did you get your first pairs then?"

"ShIt I hAd ThEm SiNcE bEfOrE i CaN rEmEmBeR."

"Good. Now. You gotta stay loyal to your fuckin quadrants." Gamzee looks down a little...

"The fuck does that look mean?"

"LiKe I sAiD mOtHeRfUcKeR lOnG sToRy."

"Well shit, that ain't no way to be. Listen. When you do get into some fuckin quadrants you stick to it. If a motherfucker's cheatin', you kill them AND the person they be cheatin' with. Now onward. You better treat the lowbloods like the god damn scum of the universe they are. If you stray from the Mirthful Messiah's then you have forsaken yourself and your caste. We then have the right to gang up on you and kill you."

"Ah YeAh I kNoW tHaT lAsT oNe. BuT lOoK, aBoUt ThE lOwBlOoDs..."

"No bro. Ain't no 'buts' about lowbloods ya hear?"

"No BrO, i GoT sHiT tO sAy AnD gOd DaMn YoU'rE gOnNa LiStEn To Me!" The guy gulps a little and shuts his mouth...

"I hAvE a LoT oF lOwBlOoD fRiEnDs SeE? tHeY aIn'T fUcKiN' sCuM! tHeY'rE nOrMaL aSs TrOlLs AnD-... sOmE oF tHoSe MoThErFuCkErS aRe My BeSt FrIeNdS. aNd FoR yOuR iNfOrMaTiOn I wAs In A fUcKiN' qUaDrAnT wItH a RuStBlOoD aNd AnOtHeR wItH a... WiTh ReD bLoOd!"

"Hm. Well that's..."

"It'S fUcKiN fInE, bEcAuSe I lOvEd AlL tHoSe MoThErFuCkErS!"

"Well man I can't really tell ya no... but I wouldn't go around tellin' everyone that... Your orders are absolute, but your quadrant life is yours and we... aight well look, just don't go blabbin' about it. Lots of subjuggulators are still used to the way the first Makara ran shit, so you're gonna have to get over that." Gamzee grits his teeth a little and the other guy looks at him, thinking... This kid... ain't like the other guys. We'll see how he does.

"Sorry. Well... Want me to leave ya here so you can think and explore and shit? You're gonna have to get used to your new throne in power aight? Speakin' of throne, it's in there. It's a little big for you... But we can fix that."

"No. LeAvE iT hOw It Is. He WaS a... He WaS a BaD mOtHeRfUcKeR... bUt In A wEiRd IrRiTaTiNg KiNdA wAy... I sOrTa ReSpEcT hIm. He WaS bIg AnD eVeRyOnE fEaReD hIm. MoThErFuCkEr RuLeD hIs ShIt AnD hE wAs StRoNg As FuCk... MaYbE iT's BeCaUsE... wE'rE aLmOsT tHe SaMe PeRsOn. BuT... aH i DuNnO..."

"Hm... I'm sorta excited to learn about you Gamzee. You're chill but it looks like you can hold your own obviously. Anyway, we got an old Highblood to chop up. Can't leave him rottin' in the streets huh?"

"I gUeSs NoT... oH yEaH. tElL tHe OtHeRs To FiX tHe FuCkIn HiVeS."

"Say what? We ain't no fuckin-" he turns around to see Gamzee giving him a look...

"I tHoUgHt ThE hIgHbLoOd'S oRdErS wErE fUcKiN lAw." The guy gulps a little... then grits his teeth.

"Yes my high motherfuckin sir." He walks out, leaving Gamzee in the huge tent alone. The tents only this big really because "kurloz" was a giant... But Gamzee sorta likes it. It's hard... respecting someone like Kurloz... He was so evil... But Gamzee can't stop himself from loving that about him. How he was so fucking huge and struck real true fear into his heart many times... Gamzee hopes he can do that someday... Terrify someone like that... to their core. Hehe... Hehehehehehee...

What would his friends think if they saw him cackling like a fool? In this situation... He's the fuckin' ruler now. The head honcho. Big man on campus...

What would they think... Would they be happy for him? Worried? Wouldn't they get in trouble?

Would they be...

Scared?

Wait... isn't that what he just said he wanted?...

He's so confused... He wasn't ready for all of this. Kurloz never told him about any of this. Did he? Shit he can't remember... When he was dead though... he remembers seeing Kurloz screaming and being... sad that Gamzee was dead after Dualscar killed him... He was so sad. "dON'T FOOL YOURSELF INTO THINKING THE HIGHBLOOD CARES ABOUT YOU." That's what he remembers the Summoner telling him after one of his sopor trips... But... Gamzee thinks that maybe he really did care. He was sorta like the lusus that Gam never really had... Kurloz wanted Gamzee to get stronger and he'd even encourage him, in a really off fucked up way...

Killing him was the right choice... right?

"WeLl LiTtLe HiGhBlOoD?"

Gamzee looks up at the small wriggler skull on the only wall inside the tent and walks over to it... The empty sockets stare down at him...

He jumps up and grabs the skull down and then lands on his feet and stares at it.

"I dId ThE rIgHt ThInG dIdN't I?" No response as expected... The head is so small... the horns are down the back and curling forward down the middle looking like a mohawk... The teeth, or rather the ones that are left in the skull, are pretty long and would most definitely stick out over their lip. Gamzee wonders everything about what he looked like. He's just a kid... Who'd he have to kill before? What did the faceoff between this kid and Kurloz look like?... Maybe a schoolfeeding would be good right now...

He takes the skull into the next room only covered by a tent cloth. Inside is the huge throne that Kurloz sat upon... What was he thinking when he came to find Gamzee?

"WhAtTa YoU tHiNk LiTtLe BrO? tHiNk He WeNt BoNkErS? lOsT hIs FuCkIn' ThInK pAn?" Silence of course. Gamzee walks over to the food of the throne and has to jump high to get to the edge of the seat. He pulls himself up and sits down and stares back down at the skull...

"HeRe. WhY dOn'T yOu SiDdOwN. iT wAs YoUr SeAt At OnE pOiNt ToO rIgHt?... NoT eXaCtLy ThIs SeAt BuT... yOu KnOw WhAt I mEaN rIgHt?" Gam sets the skull down further back into the seat and then turns around facing him. Uh... it. He puts his hands together and seems to pray for the small highblood, closing his eyes.

Several minutes pass and then Gamzee lowers his hands and opens his eyes.

"I bEt ThE mEsSiAh'S aRe TaKiN' rEaL gOoD cArE oF yOu HuH?"

"HoW lOnG dId YoU eVeN gEt To Be In ThE sEaT hUh? PrObAbLy NoT fOr ToO lOnG. wAs He As BiG aS hE iS nOw WhEn YoU tWo FoUgHt?" Silence...

"I wOnDeR... hOw LoNg My AsS iS gOnNa LaSt... I dIdN't WaNt ThIs... I dIdN't PlAn FoR tHiS sHiT... cAn'T a MoThErFuCkEr GiVe A bRoThEr SoMe AdViCe HuH?" ...

"AnYtHiNg? MaYbE yOu CoUlD uP aNd TeLl Me ThE bIg SeCrEt On YoUr NaMe? YoU wErEn'T nO mAkArA tOo WeRe Ya? I dOn'T tHiNk So. HoW mAnY sWeEpS wErE yA? wHaT wAs YoUr LuSuS lIkE? yOu DiDn'T gRoW uP hErE dId Ya? NaH... hOw OlD aRe Ya NoW i WoNdEr?... DiD kUrLoZ eVeR tAlK tO yOu LiKe ThIs Or Am I jUsT bEiNg OnE cRaZy MeSsEd Up MoThErFuCkEr?... HaVe YoU eVeR sEeN... tHe MeSsIaH's?" His lusus is dead, his friends are gone and now his mentor is dead and he's the one who did it... Dead trolls tell no tales... So this is okay right? He wants to know more...

"Yo. You talkin' to yourself man?" Gamzee's a little shocked at the voice, but he turns around and sees that guy from before.

"CaN't A mOtHeRfUcKeR gEt HiS pRiVaCy On Yo?"

"Guess. Who ya talkin' to?"

"ThIs GuY." Gamzee shows him the skull and the other guy raises an eyebrow.

"You really are a Makara. Big man used to talk to that one all the time."

"DiD hE eVeR gEt AnY fUcKiN aNsWeRs FrOm HiM?"

"What do you think?" Gamzee frowns a little and faces away from the guy to look down at the skull again.

"DoEs AnYoNe EvEn... KnOw ThIs GuYs NaMe?"

"Not even Kurloz knew his name."

"DiDn'T aNyOnE eVeN kNoW hIs SiGn?"

"Yeah, the sign of Iapetus. That's all any of us younger but higher ups know about him..."

"WeLl I wAnNa FiNd OuT. mAyBe ThIs KiD nEvEr AnSwErEd BeCaUsE kUrLoZ dIdN't GiVe TwO fUcKs..."

"Or... Maybe it's cuz the guy's DEAD."

"If ThE mIrThFuL mOtHeRfUcKeRs GaVe Me ThIs DaMn SeAt Of PoWeR tHeN mAyBe ThEy'Ll LeT mE aNd ThIs KiD tAlK... i WaNt SoMe AdViCe YoU kNoW?"

"I guess I can't stop you... but we just saw a group of suspicious people wandering the city... Want us to capture them?"

"NaH, jUsT lEaVe Em... KeEp An EyE oN tHeM tHoUgH iF yOu ReAlLy ThInK tHeY'rE sUsPiCiOuS..."

"Will do... I'll leave ya alone now." He turns to walk out-

"WaIt."

"Huh?"

"WhAt'S yOuR nAmE?"

"It's Atori."

"AtOrI... ThAnKs." Atori smiles a little and nods.

"Welcome to the throne bro.."

()

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. FUCKIN' SAND AND SHIT

LAST TIME ON NEWGENERATION

()

"If ThE mIrThFuL mOtHeRfUcKeRs GaVe Me ThIs DaMn SeAt Of PoWeR tHeN mAyBe ThEy'Ll LeT mE aNd ThIs KiD tAlK... i WaNt SoMe AdViCe YoU kNoW?"

"I guess I can't stop you... but we just saw a group of suspicious people wandering the city... Want us to capture them?"

"NaH, jUsT lEaVe Em... KeEp An EyE oN tHeM tHoUgH iF yOu ReAlLy ThInK tHeY'rE sUsPiCiOuS..."

"Will do... I'll leave ya alone now." He turns to walk out-

"WaIt."

"Huh?"

"WhAt'S yOuR nAmE?"

"It's Atori."

"GoOd. AtOrI... ThAnKs." Atori smiles a little and nods.

"Welcome sir."

()

The night was a long one and Gamzee was exhausted. He couldn't sleep though... He was still just so confused... or rather he couldn't stop thinking about everything. This all happened so fast... It just sorta fell on his shoulders. He doesn't wanna be the new highblood!... But then again what else is he supposed to do with his life? His friends are gone and he got his revenge... He's got nothing left now... The morning comes and only a little light comes to his tent...

The throne is so big that Gamzee chose there to rest and think for the night... No one comes to bother him, which is a little strange. He was sure Atori or someone else would come to see him. Then again everyone grew up with fucking Kurloz whatever being the big guy around. Come to think of it, he wonders if he'll get as big as him. A lot of trolls of his blood caste are pretty big... He knows that older trolls are bigger from all castes though. Maybe Kurloz used some sorta voodoo magic or something weird like that to make himself bigger... It wouldn't surprise him.

Gam takes a look at the little skull... and sits up scratching his head, takes the skull and jumps down to his feet. He walks to the main part of the tent and hangs the skull back up.

"I'lL cOmE aNd ViSiT yA lAtEr BrO. sEe Ya FoR nOw." Gamzee walks and pushes aside the parts of the tents. He hears groaning and yelling and screaming from another tent. Sounds like every purple blood in the whole city is there. So he goes on over and almost goes inside, when he hears talk about him.

"Who the fuck does this fuckin' punk think he is?!"

"Pisses me right the fuck off! He just comes in, ain't no one ever heard of him or seen him before!"

"Now he's in the fuckin' boss' room!"

"Bullshit!"

"Should we do something?! Any of us could do better than that kid!"

"Yeah!"

"Are you all insane?" Atori's voice! Gamzee leans in and listens more. Some grumble and make small shocked noises.

"You're all fools! He took down the biggest and one of the strongest trolls anyone's ever seen!"

"That don't mean he deserves the position Atori, you motherfuckin traitor!"

"You sit your god damn fuckin' ass down." Some trolls gasp. Apparently it's rare for someone like Atori to curse? Odd, since that's a fucking centerpiece of their culture...

"You guys better rethink your judgment. That boy is a Makara too! He's a direct descendant!"

"No fuckin' way!" Lots of trolls begin to whisper among themselves...

"Whoa come to think of it he does sorta look like boss when he was younger huh?"

"Oh fuck it's been so long I damn near forgot all about him being young at all." Snickers.

"He took down his predecessor and now HE'S the boss, and by the great Mirthful Messiah's you WILL respect him! If you defy him and make him angry he'll rip your throat out for speaking such blasphemy!"

"I say we test him!"

"Test?! What more do you want from him?!"

"Has he even been through fuckin' sopor training yet?! He hasn't gone through the courses either! That motherfucker's gotta prove himself!"

"He is the GRAND HIGHBLOOD! He has nothing to prove to YOU low life motherfuckers!"

Gamzee listens and just can't... understand really. He doesn't even WANT this fucking job... But... his purple blooded pride is starting to boil up... Maybe he should let go... of everything. And just start over... and...

"I'Ll FuCkIn' Do It." He steps inside, pushing the curtains away. Everyone looks over at him, some with glares and some with respectful fear.

"YaLl DoN't ThInK i CaN dO iT hUh? WeLl It LoOkS lIkE i'M gOnNa HaVe To PrOvE yOu WrOnG. aNd TrUsT mE. i /WiLl/ PrOvE yOu AlL wRoNg. I'm GoNnA bE aN eVeN bEtTeR hIgHbLoOd ThAn ThAt OtHeR mOtHeRfUcKeR yOu HeAr Me?" He looks down at everyone and they're all silent... until a few start laughing in the back. Not everyone laughs, but it's quite an uproar.

"Fuck I can't wait to see this shit!" A few get up and go over to him to grab him up.

Gam swings his clubs up, ripping the arms off a couple trolls.

"DoN't FuCkInG tOuCh Me YoU dIsGuStInG mOtHeRfUcKeR." The trolls on the ground look up at him and see that... that... terrifying fury building up in his eyes. The look of a Makara...

"YaLl'D bEtTeR wAtCh YoUr FuCkIn AsSeS aNd YoUr MoUtHs. I'm YoUr GoD dAmN sUpErIoR nOw AnD yOu AiN't GoNnA tReAt Me LiKe A fUcKiN' nEw KiD gOt It? If I hAvE tO kIlL eVeRy SiNgLe OnE oF yOu SoFtSpOnGeD fUcKeRs AnD rEmAkE mY lItTlE cArNiVaL pArTiCiPaNtS, tHeN bY tHe FuCkIn' MeSsIaH's I'lL dO iT. NoW tAkE mE tO tHiS dAmN "tRaInInG" yOu DaRe AsK mE tO tAkE sO i CaN gEt It OvEr WiTh." It's happening...

And everyone knows it. They pissed off a Makara... and for some reason they're all still alive...

So everyone gets up carefully, and Atori pushes everyone out of the way and comes up to Gamzee.

"This way." He smiles a creepy sharp fanged smile at Gamzee, happy that he showed the others their place. Gamzee follows and then the others follow him silently.

()

From the city, some can see the highbloods walking in a group being silent as can be... and they wonder what on Earth is going on...

()

The sun was still coming up and the group of tired trolls were just waking up as they walked through the damn sand all over again.

"Vriska... Are we... almost there?" Nepeta is slumping and looking up at her sadly.

"We should be. I mean, no we can see the damn place, it shouldn't t8ke us very long... to get there." Vriska just keeps facing forward and inwardly screaming at the pain in her legs.

Kanaya stays towards the back to make sure no one gets left behind... but watching everyone be so tired and desperate for shade, water and a decent rest is difficult to witness. She mostly worries about the sea dwellers. They don't look like they're doing too good. Feferi seems to have lost most of her light and gusto... And Eridan looks just flat. Empty even. She can't imagine what it's like at all to live on water and then have to walk in the desert for nearly a week. How they've survived is beyond her comprehension...

"GOD DAMN. WHY DIDN'T WE USE THAT FUCKING PORTAL THING BACK AT THAT HIVE?!"

"1T M1GHT NOT H4V3 3VEN B33N TH4T K1ND4 PORT4L. 1 TH1NK 1T W4S MOR3 OF 4 LOOK1NG GL4SS. YOU S4W HOW TH4T L1TTL3 ROCK C4M3 FLY1NG B4CK 4T T4VROS 4ND H1T H1M. W3 DON'T KNOW WH4T WOULD H4V3 H4PP3N3D 1F ON3 OF US TR13D GO1NG 1N, SOM3TH1NG S1M1L4R WOULD H4V3 H4PP3N3D."

"YOU THINK SO HUH?" Karkat sighs. Equius is towards the front. And without his broken glasses to hide his eyes, he looks exhausted. Even more than normal. Usually Nepeta would jump on his back and make him carry her around, but this time around everyone understands the craziness that they're all going through and... just ugh... Aradia though looks rather unfazed, even though she's actually super tired and sorta wants to scream.

"W8! There!" Vriska points! Everyone looks up to hopefully see what she's pointing at...

"What are y0u l00king at?..."

"What? The fucking city RIGHT THERE!" She points more intensely as if that'll get Aradia to see it better.

"1 C4N'T S33 4NYTH1NG."

"Shut the FUCK up Terezi."

"NO VRISKA, WE DON'T SEE ANYTHING..."

"No w8y! It's there! You guys think I'm lying?"

"n-nO... i THINK MAYBE YOU SEE... A MIRAGE?"

"A fucking WHAT you punk?!"

"A mirage Vriska." Equius stops walking and everyone is happy to do the same.

"You're seeing things."

"No way you—" She looks back and ... doesn't see the gates anymore...

"W...what? No I saw it!"

"I believve ya. I'vve been seein' bats flyin' around for a feww hours noww..."

"Eridan..." Feferi looks at him a little, concerned. He waves her off a little and yawns...

"What are we gonna do Equius?..." Nepeta sits down and breaths hard and just... flops down onto the sand.

"We should rest for a while." Equius flops unceremoniously on his ass and pants.

"Do you think we're gonna die?"

"NO WAY NEPETA. THERE'S NO WAY HAND MAID WOULD SEND US HERE THINKING WE'D DIE. SOME OF US AGAIN. WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT. IT'S GONNA SUCK ON OUR WAY THERE, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT OKAY?" Karkat rests his hands on his knees and breathes, looking forward.

"K4RK4T'S R1GHT. W3 C4N DO TH1S GUYS."

"We have to find water guys... Fast. Eridan and I might not make it much longer..." Feferi sits next to Eridan and lays down. Kanaya and Aradia look at the two of them together and try to think of something!

"i WISH I COULD FLY... lIKE THE SUMMONER..." Tavros looks down all the way and clenches his hands into fists Vriska looks at him and nods a little.

"Yeah, at least then you could look further ahead. I can't really see my vision 8 fold anymore..." Finally everyone is silent and just sits down and catches their breath.

But the ground starts to shake under them!

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?!"

"Hold On Everyone!" Everyone lays down to try and avoid any pain from such a massive earth quake! Dunes start to level out and then right from under all of them, a hole opens up and they all fall through!

"AAAAAHH!" They all flip flippity do bubbub flop flap flump down some dirt and then all come to a stop.

"SOM3ON3 F1LL M3 1N, WH4T TH3 H3LL JUST H4PP3N3D?" Terezi sits up along with Vriska and Aradia.

"Well, it w0uld seem we've fallen int0 s0me s0rt 0f cave.

"Perfect, then you can navigate it right?"

"Well n0t quite Vriska, but I'll d0 my best." Aradia slowly stands up, hands above her head to make sure she didn't hit it or her horns.

"Is there any way we c0uld make s0me lights?" Kanaya stands up and she... well, she flicks on and makes the whole area around them glow.

"Will This Do?"

"Perfect. My ap0l0ies, but c0uld y0u g0 f0rward?"

"I'm Glad To Help." Kanaya nods and walks forward quite a ways, feeling the sides of the cave... It's nice and cold down here so no one else is too keen on getting up to go walking further. The cold ground under them and surrounding them is PERFECT. No sand is falling on them though.

"w-wOW LOOK AT THAT. tHE SAND UP THERE LOOKS LIKE IT'S ... sTUCK?"

"HUH?" Karkat looks up at where Tavros points and sees the sunlight sorta kinda coming through the sand.

"YOU'RE RIGHT, IT SORTA LOOKS LIKE A BARRIER OF SOME KIND HOLDIN UP THE SAND. WELL GOOD! NOW WE WON'T GET BURIED AND DIE LIKE PATHETIC WASTES OF SPACE AND JUST BECOME FERTILIZER FOR ANY OTHER PATHETIC SOULS THAT DARE CROSS THE DRY DICK OF THE LOATHSOME 'GOD' THAT PUT US IN-"

"Oh stop Karkitty." She rolls over on her back and looks up at him a little

"You were the one that said not to give up!"

"I DIDN'T FUCKING SAY I WAS GIVING UP. I JUST CAN'T STAND ALL THIS BULLSHIT. I WANNA GET TO THAT TOWN AND INTO THAT HIDDEN HIVE SO WE CAN NOT WALK IN THE STUPID LEG DEVOURING SAND ANYMORE."

"Well Karkat It Looks Like We're Well On Our Way To Getting There Faster."

"YEAH?"

"Yes Indeed." Everyone slowly gets up on their tired sore legs and walk over behind Kanaya and look forward. The tunnel goes on for a LOOONG ways. Kanaya picks up a rock and throws it hard, further into the tunnel, and as it clicks on the walls and floor, little glowing worms start to glow all over the place!

"Oh. Well Look At That."

"They're soooo purritty!" Nepeta slaps her hands together and jumps up and down a few times, while everyone just admires them silently. Even Terezi who can smell their beautiful blue and pink colors.

"Well this should lead the way right? Alth0ugh I'm c0ncerned. H0w d0 we kn0w this will lead us t0 the city?"

"Where else would it lead us to Aradia? There's nowhere else to go around here! There aren't any other cities or anything! I can practically smell that damn city!" Vriska folds her arms and nods a little, then starts walking, linking her arm with Kanaya's.

"Let's go girlly, let's 8ust into that city and see why juggalo 8utt wants us to go there!"

Equius just rolls his eyes a little and follows.

"Wwell t-this is a vvery nice change of pace..."

"Yeah... I dunno if we could have lived out there for much longer..."

"Wwe were ready to die right then and there... I hope there's wwater somewwhere soon..." Eridan takes Feferi's hand and leads her with the others...

The tunnel gets bigger and bigger as they continue. It begins to turn into a huge cave where more than just worms are hanging from the rocks... Giant bats are all over the place!

"eEEEEW... wHAT IS THAT... tHAT AWFUL SMELL?..." Tavros covers his nose and mouth with both hands and just... UGH. He wants to barf...

"Bat shit probably. Disgustin' animals..." Eridan plugs his nose a little and looks around at all the red eyes looking at them all.

"1S TH3R3 4NY W4Y W3 C4N... 1 DUNNO, G3T TH3 FUCK OUTT4 H3R3 4NY F4ST3R?"

"Well Let's See... Down There. We'll Have To Be Very Quiet Though, So Not To Disturb The Bats..."

"YEAH THAT'LL GO WELL..."

"D0n't be s0 negative Karkat. We can d0 this. C0me 0n every0ne." Aradia jumps down and leads the way, sliding down the rocks. Everyone follows and does their best to be quiet. They walk through rocks that are slippery and sometimes things EEP! when they're stepped on. Nepeta wishes she had her hat to cover her nose with. It's pretty rank down there... BLEGH. They reach the end where the tunnel gets a little smaller and... Eridan trips.

"OOF!"

"uh oh." Vriska looks back at the party with Kanaya and the bats start going crazy, squeaking and screeching and flapping everywhere. Kanaya runs back there and stands in front of Eridan at his feet and SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHES AT THE BATS! It echoes through the WHOLE place and then goes silent. The bats have retreated to their own little bat caves and stay silent. The group looks at Kanaya in awe. Karkat helps Eridan stand up and they back further into the tunnel and wait until Kanaya takes a few steps back and then turns around.

"There We Go. We'll Have To Be More Careful. No More Of That... Come On What Are You All Staring At? Keep Walking Before They Come Back!" Kanaya shoos them all with her hands and then runs back in front. Vriska looks at her and smiles a little.

"W-...wow."

"wOW IS RIGHT! gO KANAYA!" Tavros throws both fists in there air and walks up to her.

"O-Oh, It Was Nothing Really."

"Well now, Kanaya 8eing modest? That's something I haven't seen in a long time."

"Oh Stop It All Of You."

Eridan straightens himself up and dusts himself off.

"Thanks Kan."

"Not A Problem Eridan."

After another hour or so of walking, Vriska slips!

"w-whoa! WHOA!" She wobbles back and forward, flailing her arms in circles until she falls and... slides down?

"W-What On Earth?"

"v-vRISKA!" Tavros looks down... then Kanaya jumps and follows after her!

"w-wAIT FOR ME!" Tavros jumps down and Karkat just sighs. Equius takes Nepeta in his arms and jumps down with her going "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" the whole way down. Aradia, Feferi, Eridan and Karkat slide down too, all screaming along the way! They're going super fast and it seems to go on forever!

Eventually Vriska lands first, on her feet in a totally dark room.

"Uh oh. Shit... Did I get separated?"

"MOVE!" Kanaya shouts and then slams into Vriska knocking her over, soon being piled on by every single person that comes down. Vriska gasps for air and flails her arms around.

"N-Now I s-sorta wouldn't m-mind 8eing separated!" Vriska STANDS and knocks everyone off and pounds on her chest for air.

"Phew! Dammit you guys you all nearly crushed me!"

"I Did Tell You To Move Vriska." Kanaya stands up and dusts herself off.

"Yeah too little too late! Whatever." Suddenly a not so mysterious voice echoes in the dark dome like room.

"Yo guys."

"! GAMZEE IS THAT YOU? WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I sTiLl CaN't ReAlLy ShOw Ya. It'D fUcK sHiT uP mAn. Ya HeAr?"

"G4MZ33 YOU P13C3 OF CR4P! HOW C4N W3 3V3N KNOW 1T'S YOU IF YOU K33P H1D1NG!? WHY WOULD SHOW1NG YOURS3LF TO US FUCK WH4T3V3R UP HUH?!"

"HmMmMmMmMm. WeLl SiS iF i ShOwEd YoU aNyThInG yOu WoUlDn'T bElIeVe Me AnYwAy."

"S4YS WHO?!"

"SaYs Me. :O) lOoK i KnOw YoU mOtHeRfUcKeRs WaNt SoMe AnSwErS, bUt YeR gOnNa HaVe To WaIt... I dOn'T wAnT iT tO bE tHiS wAy, BuT tHaT's HoW iT's GoTtA gO fOr ThInGs LaTeR oN tO bE... sTrAiGhT fOrWaRd I gUeSs. I'm TrYiN' tO pRoTeCt Ya SeE, aNd I cAn'T hAvE yOu GuYs FuCkIn' It Up WiTh YoUr /WiLlS/ aN' sHiT"

"OUR W1LLS?"

"YeAh. LeT mE tHiNk NoW... cOnSiDeR mE... tHe NeW hAnDmAiD oF sOrTs AiGhT? i'Ll TeLl YoU tHiS. i AiN't ThE gAmZeE fRoM tHiS tImElInE yA dIg?"

"THIS TIME LINE? ARE YOU..."

"I'm A fUtUrE gAmZeE. aIgHt I'lL tElL yA a LiTtLe BiT. yA'lL aRe GoNnA hAvE sOmE tOuGh TiMeS iF yOu DoN't Up AnD gEt YoUr LiStEnIn' EaRs On CaPiScE? i MaDe ThIs TuNnEl A lOoOoNg FuCkIn' TiMe AgO... sO tHaT yOu GuYs WoUlDn'T dIe. YoU gOtTa GeT tO tHe CiTy AnD tHiS iS tHe OnLy WaY i CoUlD hElP yOu GeT tHeRe."

"g-gamzee..."

"TaVrOs... FuCk It'S nIcE tO sEe YoU yOu AiN't GoT nO iDeA bRo... NaH mAn I cAn'T gEt DiStRaCtEd. I gOtTa FoCuS aNd GeT tHrOuGh ThIs ShIt WiTh Ya'Ll. YoU'rE gOnNa GeT tHrOuGh ThIs FuCkIn' TuNnEl AnD wHeN yOu Do, JuSt Do WhAt I sHoWeD yOu EaRlIeR, wHiCh Is GeT iN tHaT fUcKiN' hIvE gOt It? WhEn YoU gEt In ThAt HiVe... YoU'rE gOnNa HaVe SoMe NeW cLoThEs. Ya GoTtA bLeNd In. AfTeR tHaT..."

"AFTER THAT? WHAT MAN?"

"YoU'rE gOnNa Go FiNd ThE cUtEsT lItTlE fUcKeR eVeR nAmEd LeViNa, AnD sHe'Ll HeLp YoU oUt. ShE wOn'T bE tHe SaMe LeViNa ThAt I kNeW... aH mAn ThIs Is HaRd To ExPlAiN. bY tHe TiMe YoU gEt To ThE cItY... tHrEe SwEePs WiLl HaVe PaSsEd OkAy?"

"WHAT THE FUCK? HOW IS THREE YEARS GONNA GO BY?!"

"I nEeD yOu GuYs HeRe... ShIt'S gEtTiN' rOuGh..."

"Is Sollux there Gamzee?! Please tell me!"

"He'S hErE... AlRiGhT lOoK... wHaT i'M gOnNa Do... Is I'm GoNnA fReEzE tImE hErE oKaY?..."

"Gamzee what are y0u talking ab0ut? H0w are y0u g0ing t0 d0 that?" Aradia steps closer to the voice, curious... He's obviously standing right there!... She can almost smell the faygo on him.

"CaN't ReVeAl ToO mUcH aRaDiA mY gIrL... bUt JuSt KnOw ThAt YoU cAn FuCkIn' TrUsT mE oKaY?"

"I trust y0u."

"WaIt Ya Do?"

"Yes. Y0u w0uldn't be wasting y0ur time c0ming all the way back here... I kn0w we can trust y0u."

"i...i TRUST YOU TOO GAMZEE! MORE THAN ANYONE!"

"YoU gUyS sPoIl Me Ya KnOw... I'm GlAd YoU tRuSt Me. NoW lOoK. i CaN't HeLp YoU aNyMoRe OkAy?... WhEn We'Re DoNe TaLkInG hErE, i'M fReEzInG tImE oN mY sIdE... sO gEt To ThAt CiTy, FiNd LeViNiA aNd ShE'lL tReAt Ya ReAl GoOd. AnD... sTaY tHe /FuCk/ AwAy FrOm ThE tEnTs."

"tHE TENTS? wHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"HE MEANS THE TENTS WHERE ALL THE OTHER JUGGALO ASSHOLES ARE."

"YoU gOt It MaN. yOuNgEr PaSt Me Is ThErE uNdErGoInG sOmE iNtEnSe TrAiNiNg OkAy? If YoU eVeR sEe Me, DoN't CoMe NeAr Me... BeCaUsE i WiLl KiLl YoU."

"What about Sollux?! Gamzee why won't you tell me more?"

"I jUsT cAn'T oKaY? yOu'Ll UnDeRsTaNd EvEnTuAlLy. BuT fOr KnOw... JuSt KnOw ThAt He'S aLiVe AnD i'M dOiNg EvErYtHiNg I cAn FoR tHe GuY. i'Ll SeE yOu LaTeR oKaY? tHrEe SwEePs LaTeR..."

"How long has it been for you highblood?..." Equius takes several steps forward to the dark figure and the voice.

"TeN sWeEpS mY bRoThEr..." Everyone's eyes go HUGE. That's 21 human years...

"H-How is Sollux even alive?!"

"... I sTiLl CaN't TeLl YoU. i CaN't TaLk AnYmOrE. mY tImE's OvEr GuYs. I'lL sEe YoU iN 3 sWeEpS. yOu'Re GoNnA hAvE sOmE wEiRd AdVeNtUrEs My FrIeNdS."

"wELL SEE YOU GAMZEE! i... i..."

"I kNoW." Tavros can almost hear the smile on Gamzee's face... and can hear how deep his voice hat gotten... he can only imagine how tall he is in ten sweeps... jesus that's a long time... and now they have to wait six and a half human years to see Gamzee again...

How WAS Sollux alive?... and what about aradia and Tavros and Nepeta? What would happen to them... when they got older? They would just die while the higher castes would live for much longer...

"D0n't be scared Tavr0s. We'll be alright."

"hOW DO YOU KNOW?..."

"Because I trust him. And I kn0w if he needs us where he is... then he'll need us all fit and ready." She looks at him and nods seriously... and Tavros looks down...

"hE ACTED LIKE... HE HADN'T SEEN ME IN A LONG LONG TIME... lIKE I WAS... dEAD."

"Tavros! If you sink into depression so early in the g8me you're gonna 8e worthless with your cool legs! So 8uck up pupa!" Vriska slaps Tavros' shoulder a little with a big fangy smile... and Tavros nods with a tiny smile.

"yEAH... i'LL MAKE SURE TO GET STRONGER THAN EVER... AND I'M GONNA LAST UNTIL I CAN FIGHT BESIDE GAMZEE AGAIN!"

"THAT'S the spirit! ONWARD guys! To the city!" Vriska runs forward ahead of everyone and Kanaya chases after her.

"Aww That Was So Nice Of You Vriska."

"I was just 8eing real with him. 8esides, this is W8Y more fun than 8eing dead on a dum8 island. ::::)"

TBC


	7. chapter 7: Love all around

LAST TIME ON NEW GENERATION   
()  
“Tavros! If you sink into depression so early in the g8me you’re gonna 8e worthless with your cool legs! So 8uck up pupa!” Vriska slaps Tavros’ shoulder a little with a big fangy smile... and Tavros nods with a tiny smile.  
“yEAH... i’LL MAKE SURE TO GET STRONGER THAN EVER... aND I’M GONNA LAST UNTIL I CAN FIGHT BESIDE GAMZEE AGAIN!”  
“THAT’S the spirit!! ONWARD guys! To the city!!” Vriska runs forward ahead of everyone and Kanaya chases after her.  
“Aww That Was So Nice Of You Vriska.”  
“I was just 8eing real with him. 8esides, this is W8Y more fun than 8eing dead on a dum8 island. ::::)”  
()()  
“So... How was your talk with your friends?” Future Gamzee looks at his hands a little..... and clenches them tightly.  
“It WaS wAy ToO gOoD mAn....”  
“Are you going to cry?”  
“No, DoN’t Be DuMb... I jUsT... mIsS ‘eM iS aLl...”  
“I know you do Gamzee... But you’ll see them soon, remember?”  
“I kNoW... wE wIlL gEt To SeE tHeM sOoN..... So I’M sToPpInG tImE fOr Us GoT iT?”  
“I got it. Go for it man.” The older and now larger Atori sits down on the ground and sighs.  
“DoN’t GeT tOo CoMfY. AnD dOn’T bLiNk. ThEy’Ll Be HeRe In A CoUpLe SeCoNdS.”  
“Don’t get comfortable?”  
“DaS rIgHt. HeRe We Go...” Gam grabs up some old worn white wands.... and smiles at them a little.... then squeezes them and the entire world goes quiet and still.  
()  
Gamzee and Atori walk to a separate tent, the other trolls following behind quietly.  
“So. WhAt TeStS dO i GoTtA dO?”   
“Well, the same thing we do to teach all of our subjuggulators. Jesus you really HAVEN’T been around other purple bloods have you?”  
“NaH mAn.”   
“Have you been around ANYONE? What about your lusus?”  
“My LuSuS..... HeH. My StOrY iS a LoNg OnE bRo.”  
“Hm. I guess it would be. I have a lot of questions for you. But I’ll have to wait until your little tests are over.”  
“YeAh. TeLl Me AbOuT tHoSe.” Atori takes a breath, ready to explain it all, but lets it out seeing as how they get to a dead end.  
“WeLl WhAt ThE mOtHeRfUcK iS tHiS?”  
“Keep your spotted pants on.” The larger troll walks forward and yanks a little cord. Parts of the tent start to move, and reveal a... a stage??  
Atori walks over to it and motions for Gamzee to get his ass over there. So Gamzee complies and gets on the stage. There are no chairs for spectators.   
The other trolls file in and stand there, waiting.  
“Don’t be scared okay?” Atori whispers to Gamzee, who only squints.  
“YoU’rE fUcKiN jOkIn’ RiGhT? I aIn’T sCaReD oF nOtHiNg.”  
“We’ll see....” He stands back and Gamzee stands there at the center of the stage. Atori yanks a different rope, and circus props pop up from the floor and some fall from the ceiling. There are rings of fire, acrobatic swings, aerial hoops, and various other things.  
“Gamzee. You will do some traditional exercises. Most of them require a couple things that you have to figure out yourself.”  
“WaIt We’Re SeRiOuSlY dOiNg CiRcUs AcTs??” Gamzee raises an eyebrow high and almost slumps. Atori simply nods and states factually,  
“Of Course. Partners will come up and you gotta do the special acts alright?”  
“Uh..... SuRe. I’vE nEvEr DoNe AnY oF tHeSe BeFoRe ThOuGh.” Everyone in the tent including Atori gasps, eyes wide.  
“You’re joking..... There’s no way!”  
“I’m.... ToTaLlY sErioUs. I mEaN, i’Ve SeEn A cOuPlE oF tHeSe On My OlD hUsKtOp.....”  
Everyone whispers as if not doing the tricks was against their very nature.  
And it was.   
“Well.... You have a lot to learn...” Atori looks to the crowd and points out people and calls their names. The ones called quickly come up to the stage. All ages and sizes come to the stage. Seven people come to the stage.  
A tall burly man with tiger make up. “Grooga.”  
A very thin but tall woman wearing bird face paint. “Chebur.”  
A very old thin, but built man, splatters on his face. “Kloshe.”  
A small boy probably only 2 sweeps old with flame makeup. He looks proud to have been called on stage, a big smile ripping his face nearly in half. “Teiono.”  
A slightly older girl, maybe 4 sweeps with a very sad frown on her face. Her makeup appears to be a monkey. “Persha.”  
A boy about Gamzee’s age with long straight hair and a very serious face steps up and seems to stare Gamzee down... His makeup is that of a dragon. “Marsho”  
And finally, a very strong looking woman comes up and she looks like she hasn’t had pie for days. Or maybe she’s eating or drinking something else, because she looks like a crazy bitch. Her hair is in a pony tail, but her whole head is spiked and curled in random places much like Gamzee’s. “Reznia.”  
Reznia’s make up doesn’t look like anything specifically other than possibly an acid trip with paint.  
“These are your partners okay?”  
“Uh, YeAh SuRe.” Gamzee looks over them all carefully and takes a liking to Teiono, the boy with flame makeup.  
“HeY kId.”  
“Hello! I’m very proud to be one of your partners for this training exercise Grand Highblood!” Persha, the sad frown elbows him a little.  
“Don’t talk to loud....” Atori clears his throat.  
“Gamzee..... ah this is pretty hard now since you don’t even know what these tricks are. But we won’t show any mercy and show you. You’ll learn on your own.”  
“YeAh. GoT iT.” All seven people run at Gamzee and Marsho, the boy with long straight hair pushes Gamzee very hard at the shoulder, knocking him back on his ass.  
“Ah?!” Gamzee falls right on his ass and looks at Marsho like WHAT THE FUCK BRO.  
“Get up.” Gam looks totally confuse, but gets up and is quickly grabbed my old man Kloshe and thrown in the air. For such an old guy he is buff as shit. Gamzee flails his arms and legs in the air having literally zero idea about what’s going on.   
As Gamzee gets tossed around, the clowns in the audience laugh at him and his failures to catch on. They laugh hard and long, pushing each other and pointing at their.... uh... well, lacking leader.  
Gamzee does his best to slow things down and analyze what’s happening. What he does see is Atori’s slightly disappointed face.  
Oh shit.  
Looks like he’s gotta really focus.  
He finally lands on his feet and gets a good look at what everyone is doing. Flips are some of what he sees. Oh shit they’re seriously doing like gym and circus stuff.  
For a long time Gamzee gets pushed and swing and flown in the air and he has no idea how to deal with any of it. How does he react? When does he flip? Does he flip??? Does he fight or what? What the hell is going on?? Everyone here is so skilled.  
They flip and land gracefully. They toss each other around like rocks, but no one seems to be at all confused as to their parts in this whole...... this Cruiqe du what the fuck fuckin fuckery theater!  
“An hour of complete and utter failure passes and Gamzee ends up on his face, nearly everyone laughing and pointing at him. He hears people from the crowd call rude things to him.  
“You’ll never get it you—“  
“Worthless piece of shit!”  
“Booooo!”  
“Get outta here!”  
“Stay down shit head!”  
Gamzee can feel various feelings swelling up. Broken pride, complete puzzlement and above all.... he feels like an absolute failure. Trolls begin to leave swiftly out of the tent, knowing Gamzee couldn’t do a damn thing on that stage.  
Atori sighs and walks over to the downed boy.   
Although he doesn’t get there before Teiono, who slides to his knees at Gamzee.  
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you! They really shouldn’t laugh at you...”  
“Don’t console him Teiono. He failed and he knows it. Look at his face.” The sad Persha finally cracks a disgusting smirk, looking down at Gamzee.  
“How the fuck did you kill our true Grand Highblood if you can’t even do simple tricks?” Marsho folds his arms and looks down at him with heavy disdain...  
The crazy looking girl Reznia stomps over and grabs Gamzee up by his hoody and stands him up and says absolutely nothing.... An eerie silence.  
“Now now everyone, give the fucker a chance.” Atori steps up and brushes Gamzee off. The younger troll can’t help but see the disappointment in his face and.... even though he’s only known him for a while, it crushes him to see he let someone he trusts down.  
“Did you learn...... ANYTHING at all from this?...”   
When Gamzee can’t answer, Atori just shakes his head and looks down.  
“Well then... This is gonna take a while.” He walks off and rubs the back of his head... but the other trolls stay there.  
After a while, Gamzee finally sits up and leans back on his arms.  
“FuCk....”  
“Yeah, fuck is right. That was utterly pathetic.” Grooga folds his muscular arms and looks down at Gamzee.  
“WhY aReN’t YoU lEaViNg?” The crazy looking girl Reznia grumbles something incoherent and walks away... Persha sighs and walks off, her sad face back in place, followed by Grooga and the others.  
The tent is empty now and Gamzee just sits there.  
What the hell sort of training exercise was that supposed to be? How was that supposed to prove anything? How does that make him a better leader to these people?...   
It bugged him and he thought the whole thing was stupid. What a complete waste of time. After the show he seemed to put up that morning it all looked really ridiculous and now the fucking grand highblood Gamzee was just sitting on the floor confused and defeated....  
He takes a look back at the seemingly random props.... Maybe he should practice. He has no idea how a lot of them work, but....  
For the rest of the day Gamzee lazily swings from the acrobat aerial swings and just tries to get a general feeling for it. He quickly becomes discouraged though...  
Why did any of this matter?... Why did he have to become the stupid highblood.... why was he the only one left? Why couldn’t his friends be there with him? It just.... doesn’t make sense. None of it.  
Gamzee sits on the edge of the stage and hangs his head low.....   
Why can’t he just be dead?  
()  
The cave is long and as opposed to the insane heat of the desert above them, it’s FREEZING down here.  
The group continues to run, still thinking about that future Gamzee they spoke to.... He said that three sweeps would pass before they could see him...  
“What do you think Gamzee is planning?...” Equius looks over at Eridan who looks deep in thought.  
“I honestly aint got a clue Eq. But either wway wwe gotta get up there.”  
Aradia bites the inside of her cheek.....  
“I d0n’t understand. H0w did he get all the way back here in time? He said he c0uld be seen as the new Handmaid right? H0w c0uld that be?”  
“Maybe he’s using some weird juggalo voodoo shit!”  
“M4YB3. G4MZ33 C4N B3 V3RY UNPR3D1CT4BL3... H3 H4S SOM3TH1NG UP H1S SL33V3, TH4T’S W1THOUT 4 DOUBT.”  
“Purriska—“  
“I swear to god Nepeta—“  
“Just listen to me! Maybe the Handmaid gave him special powers! He was the only one that was sepurrated from us other than Pawlux... And he said that Pawlux was there and efurything! Sooo maybe she saw this and planned for it?”  
“That Isn’t Totally Unlikely. Aradia, On Your Journeys With Her, You Saw Many Things Happen And You Had To Plan In Advance Correct? She’d Been Doing It For Her Whole Life Probably, So She’s Seen Many Various Things Including Our Futures Obviously.”  
“YEAH. SO I’M GUESSING ALL THE SHIT WE’VE BEEN FORCED TO GO THROUGH HAS ALL BEEN LEADING UP TO THIS SHIT?”  
“PROB4BLY. 1’M JUST 4 L1TTL3 BOTH3R3D... WHY WOULD 4NYON3 P1CK G4MZ33 TO GO 1NTO TH3 FUTUR3 1NST34D OF ON3 OF US? L1K3 M3.”  
“Uh, or MEEEEEEEE!! It’s not fair that Gamzee got to—“  
“SHUT THE FUCK UP. GAMZEE’S OBVIOUSLY THE RIGHT ONE FOR THIS JOB.”  
“Rawr, Karkat’s getting snippy!” Vriska pops an eyebrow up and looks to the side at him.  
“HE MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT TO TALK TO US EVEN FOR THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.”  
“Karkat’s right.” Aradia nods a little.  
“Traveling thr0ugh time is n0 easy task. It takes l0ng h0urs and days and sweeps 0f practice. And seeing as h0w he t0ld us he hadn’t seen us in a very l0ng time...”  
“aW.... gAMZEE. iT MUST HAVE BEEN HELL FOR HIM.”  
“HE PROBABLY—“  
“Look There!” Kanaya suddenly points ahead of them and skids to a stop, everyone slowly stopping and bumping into each other.  
Everyone looks up where Kanaya points, and there in front of them is.... a HUGE slug type of creature!! It appears to be big enough to have.... made the entire tunnel itself. It sits there right in their way looking down at them with it’s weird slug eyes...  
Tavros steps forward a little bit to it...  
“u..uH... eXCUSE ME! wE NEED TO GET THROUGH HERE! cOULD YOU... MAYBE MOVE A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN PASS? pLEASE?”   
The slug doesn’t move for a while... until it begins to bend down to them and feel Tavros with its little feelers on its face. It’s super gross and slimy and Tav is covered with go when the slug backs off a little.  
The white slug creature slips out of the way into another hole.  
“WHOA. DID THAT THING JUST LISTEN TO YOU?”  
“uH..... YEAH IT DID. i FEEL LIKE IT WAS A LUSUS AT SOME POINT...”  
“I thought the same thing.” Equius folds his arms and nods a little bit...  
“Well then! Let’s shake a leg guys!”  
“Ew!!.... Speaking of legs.....” Feferi points down at their feet. The whole floor is bones and skulls and old horns...  
“Oh My....”  
“That’s fuckin sick. So... I’m guessin’ that there thing was guarding the path?...”  
“1T’S B33N W41T1NG FOR US 1T S33MS.”  
“Aww.... Look at it.” Nepeta runs up to the creature and watches it sizzle away, decaying and rotting into the rocks.”  
“Eugh. It smells horrible.....”  
“Uh, you mean ‘THANK YOU’ fishy face?”  
“Uh yeah... Sure.”  
Karkat watches the slug disappear and Vriska just grabs his and Nepeta’s hands.  
“Let’s go. We have a jo8 to do remem8er?”  
“Yeah.... I remempurr...” Nepeta nods a little and goes to adjust her hat----- that she doesn’t have anymore. It was destroyed in the last fight with that stupid sea hitler. She sighs, but is quickly back papped by Equius. His glasses are gone too.  
The group continues on down the tunnel cave thing. It’s not nearly as populated by things as it was before the slug thing. It looks like nothing was allowed past that thing.  
“I HATE HAVING TO WONDER ABOUT THINGS...”  
“Well Karkat,” Feferi starts. “You aren’t the only one. I mean.... not to make it sound like your feelings aren’t valid, but we all hate it. And we have to work together and stick together. We have to talk to each other and get the right information out. I think we’ll make it and everything will get solved!”  
“You’re so optimistic Fef....” Eridan of course wasn’t so sure about all of this.   
Kanaya continues to lead the way and just waves her hand back at them.  
“I Think That’s Quite Enough Eridan. You May Not Be Quite As Positive As Some Of Us.... But Even Though Gamzee Is A Strange One And He’s Hardly Been Trust Worthy The Last Sweep Or So.... I Believe That He’s Worked Through Many Things And Has Become A Different Person.”  
“i’M SCARED HE’LL BE TOO DIFFERENT.”  
“Oh?”  
“yEAH... wHAT IF HE’S JUST SOME GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE GAMZEE BUT ISN’T REALLY?”  
“Well Tavros He Remembered You And Seemed To Miss You Very Much When We Spoke To Him. I Think You Should Keep That In Mind While We Travel. We Have Three Sweeps To Go And We Have To Keep Our Chins Up.” Tavros looks down a little bit.... and stares at his legs as he walks...  
“yEAH. i’LL TRY MY HARDEST.”

After many many hours of traveling Kanaya gasps and runs forward!  
“This Is The End!”  
“HOW DO YOU KNOW FOR SUR3?”  
“Light! There’s light! Equius look! Karkat!!”  
“YEAH I SEE IT. FINALLY. I’M COLD AS SHIT.”  
“The question is guys are wwe in the city or outside of the fuckin’ gates?”  
“Let me see here.” Feferi rushes ahead and comes up next to Kanaya.  
“Lift me up and I’ll see if I can see something.”  
“Careful, Go Slow.”  
“Fef wwhy don’t you let me do it?” Eridan steps forward a little worriedly, but Feferi waves him off.  
“Eridan I’m not a grub.” Kanaya boosts Feferi up slowly and Feferi reaches up to the light. The moment she touches it, sand pours in over her and Kanaya gaining some girly yells echoing down the tunnel.  
“Fef Dammit I fuckin’ told you!”  
“Eridan shut your glubbin gills for a second!” She shakes it off and Kanaya spits to the side, making a grossed out face. Who knows what was in that sand. EUGH.   
Feferi slowly peeks her head up, trying to keep her horns down so it wouldn’t be too obvious..... And as she looks side to side they’re just inside the walls. With a gasp, she leans down saying “Guys we made it inside the wall! We’re in the city! And we’re right where Gamzee said we would land!”  
“Ah good! Well so far so good. I’m ready to get into that hive.”  
“Same here... S0me f00d w0uld be very nice right ab0ut n0w.”  
“Allow me to hoist you all up.” Equius walks up and Feferi smiles.  
“You’re so sweet Equius....”  
“Look here, I’m goin’ first. If anyone fucks wwith us wwhile wwe’re comin’ out I’ll blast ‘em.”  
“Eridan at least TRY to keep a low profile....”   
“Yeah yeah. Alright Eq let’s go.”  
“Yes.”   
Equius positions himself against the edge of the tunnel which was a very nice sight by the way, and threads his fingers together. Eridan goes up and puts his shoe in Equius’ hand and is easily pushed up to the surface. He jumps up and crawls through, taking an extra good look around. This area looks like trolls didn’t even traverse this little back alley way. He nods and goes back.  
“Alright wwe’re clear up here. Keep it dowwn though. Fef come on up.”  
“Right.” Feferi takes her turn and steps up, getting pushed up and then pulled up by Eridan. This follows with Kanaya, Vriska, Terezi with Karkat behind her to make sure she didn’t fall. He was next, then Tavros and Aradia at last. Equius was used to hiding his curious eyes behind those broken glasses, so when he and Aradia make eye contact, the maroon blood keeps her foot on his hand and her own hands on his shoulder for a moment longer...... Then jumps up with Equius’ help.  
“Alright up ya go Equius.” Eridan and Tavros grab each of Equius’ hands and yank him up. Equius lands on his feet and suddenly the hole closes up as if it had never been there. The group looks at it a little stunned, and they suddenly wonder why they are surprised by anything anymore. Honestly.  
“Right which way then?”  
Nepeta sniffs at the air a little and folds her arms....  
“This way.”  
“Huh?” Feferi looks at her and then reaches out for her when Nepeta runs quickly down the back of the alley!  
“Hey! @_@”  
“Sshhh!” They all chase after Nepeta and try their best to be quiet. Nepeta stops abruptly and places her back against the wall. the others follow suit and try to whisper but she holds her hand up to shush everyone. A child’s ball rolls into view and everyone tries to shrink and hide and almost become one with the freaking wall. A little blueblooded boy runs up and grabs the ball.  
“We’re gonna get caught come on!” The boys friend calls to him.  
“Yeah. Look the coulds are coming! Run for it!” The two boys run away quickly and our group looks at each other with wide eyes. Nepeta looks up where the one boy looked and sees the purple clouds rushing in.  
“We gotta run for it!” Nepeta books it forward and the others do their best to follow. Finally FINALLY they see the little abandoned hive Gamzee told them about!  
“There! Hurry up!”  
“Anyone else having De ja vu?”  
“Oh Hush.” Kanaya rushes past Vriska and jumps behind Tavros who gets to the door first somehow. He grabs the handle and pulls on it, but—  
“iT’S STUCK!”  
“Are you serious!? Outta the way Tavros!” Vriska jumps up the four stairs and pulls at it.  
“IF YOU FUCKING IDIOTS WOULD CALM DOWN AND GET OUT OF MY WAY...” Karkat gets Vriska out of the way and PUSHES the door in.  
“Oh. Well then.”  
“YEAH, YA FUCKIN’ IDIOTS.” Karkat goes inside and everyone quickly follows, Equius being the last one, making sure everyone was inside. He closes the door behind them and they all pant to catch their breath for a second. Aradia looks up and itches her shoulder, a single drop having hit her, and she spots the clothes.  
“Ah l00k. Just like bef0re when we were still at the 0ther hive.”  
“Oh yeah wwould ya look at that.” The purple writing doesn’t show up like it did before in their weird little vision, and the clothes are just hanging on the walls in order of blood caste. Their names are written above each set and everyone slowly goes to their own set of clothes. Each one has a teges folded neatly on the floor.  
“WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE?” Kanaya picks hers up and unfolds it.  
“It appears to be a shield from the rain. A rain coat?”  
“YEAH. MAYBE IT KEEPS THE ACID OFF OF US?”  
“tHAT’D SURE BE NICE.” Tavros nods and looks at everyone’s clothes.   
“W3LL DO TH3Y 4T L34ST LOOK GOOD?”  
“Well Terezi, Most Of Everyone’s Clothes Are A Different Shade Of Blue Or Purple.”  
“HUH?? 1S 1T B3C4US3 TH1S PL4C3 1S MOSTLY 4 BUNCH OF H1GH3R C4ST3 BLOOD3D TROLLS?”  
“That looks like the case. Luckily me and Equius don’t have to change anything. We fit in normally around here. Eridan too even.”  
“Wwhat do you mean ‘ERIDEN TOO’??” Vriska laughs a little and waves it off.  
“Well let’s get these babies on!”  
“yOU GUYS DO THAT. i’M GONNA GO GET SOME STUFF TO EAT.” Tavros turns and goes to the other side of the room and opens up that little closet with all of their food in it. He shuffles through it and spots a folded piece of paper.   
“? mM?” He picks it up and unfolds it. It’s in Gamzee’s goofy quirk---- wait he can write? Since when??  
“HeY tAvRoS. DaMn I mIsS yOu MaN :o( AnY tImE yOu GeT sAd Or FeEl LiKe GiViNg Up, I wAnT yOu To ReAd ThIs NoTe AnD rEmEmBeR tHaT i'M cOuNtInG oN yOu AnD wAiTiNg FoR yOu. YoU'rE a VaLuAbLe MeMbEr Of OuR gRoUp Of FrIeNdS aNd... MoSt ImPoRtAnTlY sOmEoNe I cArE aBoUt A lOt. HeH tHiS sOuNdS pReTtY cHeEsY bUt It'S tRuE. So LiKe I sAiD, iF yOu FeEl DoWn In ThE dUmPs, JuSt LoOk At ThIs NoTe AnD sMiLe FoR mE pLeAsE? I'lL sEe Ya.   
YoUr ReD qUaDrAnT,   
gAmZeE. :o)”  
Tavros’ eyes are wide and he just bites his lips with the biggest smile ever.... He’d be absolutely sure to hold onto the note forever....   
“Hey Tavros are you 8ringin’ food or what?”  
“aH YEAH SORRY! hOLD ON!” He folds the note back up and puts it in his jacket pocket, then grabs a case of food and brings it out.  
By then everyone’s got their blood disguises on.  
“I wonder why we have to disguise ourselves like this! I mean.... will they really kill us if they see we have different blood colors??”  
“NEPETA THAT’S HOW IT IS... THAT’S HOW IT WAS ON ALTERNIA REMEMBER? PEOPLE LIKE ME. IF ANYONE FOUND OUT ABOUT MY MUTANT ASS THEY’D HAVE CULLED ME THE SECOND THEY KNEW. VRISKA SAID SHE SAW ONLY BLUE BLOOD LIKE BUILDINGS AND TENTS AND STUFF, SO THIS CITY PROBABLY DOESN’T HAVE ANY LOWER BLOOD COLORS. I THINK IF THEY SAW ME OR ARADIA OR YOU OR TAVROS WALKING AROUND WITH OUR REGULAR OUTFITS ON THEY’D FLIP A BITCH. BESIDES I THINK GAMZEE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING. THIS ISN’T ANYTHING NEW FOR ME. IF I HAVE TO BE A DIFFERENT COLOR BLOOD TO SAVE SOLLUX THEN I’LL DO IT.” Karkat nods to himself and looks at his Equius blue shirt. The sign is different. Everyone seems to know who the rebellious Signless was apparently so his sign has been changed.  
Aradia’s a Vriska cobalt blue, while Nepeta Kanaya and Terezi are variations of that blue going up and down the shades for that color. Eridan has to wear a hat to cover his fish fins and it bothers him SO FUCKING MUCH. He’s an Equius blue along with Feferi who just uses her hair to cover up her fins. She has to take off her little tiara that shows off her pink color and they all look at each other.  
“Tavros waht about you?”  
“oH ME? lET’S SEE. i’M EQUIUS’ COLOR.”  
“Well. I Guess We’re Gonna Have To Come Up With An Excuse For Why We’re All Suddenly In This Place.”  
Kanaya folds his arms, fairly uncomfortable in this outfit. Wearing a different color makes her a little sad. She feels like she can guess how Karkat has felt, having to always wear grey instead of that beautiful pure red color. She never minded it much and enjoyed looking at it. When Karkat showed it to her outright at the first hive when they got there, it made her so happy that he was comfortable with her...  
“Let’s just...... Let’s eat first. I dunno about the rest of ya, but I’m starvvin’ to death.”  
“aH RIGHT! i SAW SOME WATER IN THE CLOSET LET ME GET IT.” Everyone sits down and Tavros gets the water quickly.  
“Hey you look like you’re doin’ pretty good with those sweet legs huh Tavros? Your arms gotta 8e happy they’re getting a 8reak from pushing you in the wheel chair.”  
“yEAH NO THANKS TO YOU.”  
“Tavros I said—“  
“i’M OVER IT. i DO FEEL BETTER NOW THOUGH. i CAN USE MY ARM STRENGTH FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN PUSHING MYSELF AROUND IN THAT THING... bUT I’M NOT GONNA SIT AROUND AND LET MY MUSCLES GET WEAK AND DISAPPEAR. wE HAVE A BIG JOB AHEAD OF US AND I WANT TO REALLY BE OF USE.” He looks up at his friends after he sets the water down an sits on his metal rear. Feferi smiles widely at him.  
“Tavros you’re always of use. I think you’re the only one telling yourself that you’re worthless or of no use.”  
“Yeah! Tafuros you’re big and strong! You fought really hard against the condescension with us and the highblood and it was just like I always knew you could! So don’t doubt yourself okay? Because you’re super cool!”  
“a-aH, NEPETA YOU’RE GONNA MAKE ME BLUSH.” Tavros smiles super widely, his sharp teeth sticking out and his grey cheeks tinting orange.  
Everyone grabs their food and eats it. It doesn’t need heating up or anything. They just pour a little water in it and it cooks itself!  
“1 TH1NK TH1S WOULD H4V3 B33N 4 P3RF3CT T1M3 FOR G4MZ33 TO S4Y TH3T TH1S W4S 4 M1R4CL3.” Terezi chuckles a little and sniffs the food. It smells SO good and she just wants to eat the whole damn thing. Aradia hands her a fork and everyone grabs little bagged utensils and they all dig in.  
The rain outside pounds on the hive and a thick steam rises outside with things that burn. Aradia looks out of the window while she eats and just stares at it.  
She used to love listening to the rain on Alternia beating on her windows. She misses being able to go outside and dance in it and dig things up from the mud.   
How things have changed...  
The night comes quick and nearly everyone passes out on the floor on the mats and sleeping bags and pillows provided by Gamzee.  
Feferi is sitting up watching the rain continue to fall with a worried expression on her face.  
Eridan can’t quite sleep so he looks back at her and just stares....  
“Fef. Wwe’re gonna get him back, you hear?” Feferi jolts a little and looks at Eridan. Her eyes slowly fill with tears and she looks away and down at her lap.  
Eridan frowns and gets up and sits next to her.  
“Eridan... I’m so scared...” She puts her fists to her eyes and cries without a sound. Eridan can only look down at his own legs and nods a little.  
“I’m scared too... Things ain’t the same as they used to be. It wwas all pretty simple back then compared to now. Wwe’d bicker about the dumbest shit.”  
“Th-That can’t be all you remember a-about us.”  
“Fef, honestly after all this time of thinkin’ I don’t think there ever wwas an ‘us’ to speak of.”  
“W-What? Not even as .... moirails?”  
“No. Especially not as moirails... You alwways took care of me Feferi. You wwent out of your wway to help me and make me feel better..... and all I did wwas wwhine and.... LET you do the all the wwork. I didn’t carry my owwn wweight and I’ll nevver be able to apologize enough for that. Evver. I didn’t mean to ruin things so fuckin’ bad... I wwas... so stupid. I didn’t see wwhat I had in front of me and I only thought of myself and had pity parties and I wwanted others to feel bad for me too. At least that wway I could get some attention.”  
“Eridan.... I’m...”  
“Don’t you dare say that you’re sorry.”  
“H-Huh???”  
“You should absolutely not be sorry for a single fuckin’ thing you hear me?” He looks at her finally and she looks at him with her tear filled eyes.  
“I wwas the one wwho couldn’t see wwhat I had. I already had friends. I was a fuckin’ douche bag and all I did wwas let it all swim right ovver my head. I messed up. I messed up wwith all of you. I screwwed it all up wwith you and I screwwed it up with Sol too. And then we got to that dead planet and I fucked it up evven more. Heh..... but Fef listen. I’m gonna make it better okay?....”  
“Eridan...”  
“I’m gonna showw you that I’m not some pouty wworthless sack of shit with seaweed for brains. I don’t..... I don’t care wwhat I havve to do to savve Sollux. If I get him back to you and make you happy again it’ll all be wworth it. I knoww no amount of apologetic wwords I throww at you wwill change the past and wwhat I’vve done. But I’m gonna do my absolute best to at least balance it out by doin’ some good.” Feferi puts her hand on Eridan’s and he looks at her again. Her face is even more sad than before.  
“You..... You already....” She lets a sob escape her throat and she squeezes his hand harder.  
“Eridan you dummy.... You died for us... You knew what you were doing. You knew you were going to make us mad at you for what you did. You knew you were doing the right thing and you sacrificed all connections with us to do what had to be done. You protected me and saved me so many times! You died... You glubbing died because you knew that you had to... And then even after that your s-stupid corpse came back and helped us fight... Eridan you idiot! You’ve done s-so much for us!” Her pink tears stain her face and she sobs into her free hand. Eridan frowns and holds her hand back.  
“See though? I’m still makin’ you cry though...  
“You’re so stupid!” Feferi twists all the way and hugs Eridan tightly around the neck and cries into his shoulder. Eridan’s eyes go a little wide.... When was the last time he really.... HUGGED Feferi?.... He relaxes and hugs her around the waist and pets her head softly.  
“I knoww I am.”  
“S-Shut up dammit. Shut up...” She squeezes him tighter and Eridan just closes his eyes and stays quiet. In his mind he replies   
“Yes your Majesty...”

TBC


	8. Looking for Levina

Last time on Act 3 New Generation: Chapter 7: Love all around

()

“You..... You already....” She lets a sob escape her throat and she squeezes his hand harder.

“Eridan you dummy.... You died for us... You knew what you were doing. You knew you were going to make us mad at you for what you did. You knew you were doing the right thing and you sacrificed all connections with us to do what had to be done. You protected me and saved me so many times! You died... You glubbing died because you knew that you had to... And then even after that your s-stupid corpse came back and helped us fight... Eridan you idiot! You’ve done s-so much for us!” Her pink tears stain her face and she sobs into her free hand. Eridan frowns and holds her hand back.

“See though? I’m still makin’ you cry though...  
“You’re so stupid!” Feferi twists all the way and hugs Eridan tightly around the neck and cries into his shoulder. Eridan’s eyes go a little wide.... When was the last time he really.... HUGGED Feferi?.... He relaxes and hugs her around the waist and pets her head softly.

“I knoww I am.”

“S-Shut up dammit. Shut up...” She squeezes him tighter and Eridan just closes his eyes and stays quiet. In his mind he replies

“Yes your Majesty...”

()

The next morning, Terezi is the first to wake up. The hive smells like the oldest wood ever. It’s nice though. It all feels warm and safe.... She knows this is probably not true, but she’ll just have to deal with it.

Terezi sits up and stretches with a breathy sigh afterwards, then sniffs around. The first smell that hits her is her blue berry colored outfit she has to wear now..... Having to wear disguises makes her a little sad, but it mostly makes her feel.... uneasy. It’s disturbing in a weird way.  
The teal blood stands up and smells past the other blues and cobalt colors to get some food. The closet is so full of food all the scents fill her nose quickly. She thinks she smells styrofoam cups of noodles, and she DEFINATELY smells some amazing liquid. It’s the first thing she grabs... but a thought hits her. 

How long could they live like this? How long would they HAVE to live like this? Damn that Gamzee for not explaining everything in detail. But she supposes it’s alright... Won’t it be okay?.... 

No.... Gamzee was probably doing this as a last ditch effort... She wonders what her and the group will be forced to go through to get to the future that Gamzee is in...  
A yawn tears her from her thoughts, only just noticing she had a cup o noodles in her hand.

“Good Morning Terezi.”

“H3Y K4N4Y4.”

“You Sound Sad. Are You Alright?”

“S4D? H3H. NO NOT S4D. JUST TH1NK1NG 4BOUT HOW LONG W3 C4N R34LLY ST4Y H3R3.” Terezi tosses Kanaya the cup o noodle, then grabs another one for herself.

“TH1S DO3SN’T LOOK L1K3 MUCH FOOD FOR T3N OF US TO L4ST FOR V3RY LONG.” Kanaya looks at the cup o noodle and sits there quietly for a while.

“I Think We’ll Be Alright. We’ll Likely Go Through Difficult Times, But Even So I Know We’ll Pull Out Of It.” 

“WHY DO YOU TH1NK TH4T?”

“Hm? Well.... Because We’re All Supporting Each Other. It’s Almost Strange Now To Think That On Regular Terms None Of Us Would Even Be Speaking. Our Blood Would Keep Us All Away From Each Other And Would Certainly Keep Us From Being Friends. And Yet I Find It Ironic That The Condescension Herself Banned All Adult Trolls And Left Us Kids Here. And In That Time We All Became Good Friends Regardless Of Blood Color. Do You Recall When Eridan And Karkat Were Very Good Friends? Best Friends Basically?”

“Y34H. 1 R3M3MB3R 1T W4S 4 L1TTL3 W31RD.” Kanaya stands and goes to a corner of the hive where there is in fact the tiniest of kitchens. A stove and an oven were there and a small sink. Next to the sink was a microwave. She fills her cup with water and then puts her cup in the thing. Terezi comes over and puts hers in there too. Kanaya closes the door and heats both up.

“See, Once The Cups Spin Around Enough Times, We’ll Forget That They’re Different Cups.”

“H3H. JUST L1K3 US SORT4.”

“Yeah.”

“ON3 TH1NG THOUGH.”

“Hm?” Kanaya waits for Terezi’s answer even after two minutes of the cups heating. The microwave beeps and Terezi opens the door and reaches in.

“MY CUP H4S 4 T34R H3R3. 1’LL 4LW4YS B3 4BL3 TO T3LL WHO 1S WHO. W3’R3 TH3 S4M3 4ND W3R3 D1FF3R3NT.”

“I Suppose You’re Right.” Kanaya grabs out her cup and grabs some utensils, a fork for herself and one for Terezi.

After a minute or two of eating quietly, they hear another stretch. Nepeta sighs happily, full of energy from her sleep.  
“Ah morning guys!”

“MORN1NG N3P3T4.”

“Did You Sleep Well?” The kitty girl gets up and walks over to them and rubs her eyes.

“I did. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be! And look, the rain outside stopped!”

“Ah So It Has.”

“W3’LL B3 4BL3 TO GO OUTS1D3 TH3N.”

“Yeah! And we should find that girl Gamzee talked about!”

“A Girl?....”

“Yeah! Gamzee said we had to look for someone named ‘Levina’ I think was her name? ‘Levinia’? Something like that.”

“1 WOND3R WHY W3 H4V3 TO GO S33 H3R.” Kanaya fiddles with the noodles in her cup and thinks.

“Well She Must Be Important Enough To Be Mentioned By Gamzee.”

“WHY TH3 H3LL 4R3 W3 JUST BL1NDLY FOLLOW1NG WH4T TH4T GUY S4YS 4NYW4Y?” Terezi slurps her noodles up almost angrily, and Nepeta just smiles and puts her hands on her hips.

“Well what do YOU want to do Terezi?”

“Indeed. We’re following him for a cause. Not blindly. We have to get Sollux back... And we have to get Gamzee back too.”

“BUT WHY?” 

Nepeta and Kanaya look at Terezi confused. The shorter kitty girl puffs her cheeks out and responds.

“What do you mean WHY? Because they’re our furrends! And we have to stick together! We’ve already been through a lot and being sepurrated is just not how we run things Terezi! Why are you asking such silly questions? Do you really need validation for what we’re doing?”

“H3H.” Terezi smirks a little.

“DON’T B3 S1LLY. 1’M M4K1NG SUR3 TH4T W3’R3 4LL ON TH3 S4M3 P4G3. W3 /4R3/ GONN4 G3T SOLLUX 4ND G4MZ33 B4CK.” Kanaya looks at her friend worriedly... These weren’t questions that she wanted to face right now. What stupid questions they were! WHY??? How could she answer that? “Don’t be an idiot”, “They’re our friends of course we’re gonna save them”, and “because why would you want to hand over one of our best friends to Sea Hitler?!” are some answers that come to her mind quickly.

“I Think I Want To Go Outside And Explore Now...”

“Huh? Without the others?” Nepeta looks at Kanaya with her head cocked to one side.

“If We All Go Out In Such A Large Group People Will Surely Get Suspicious. Going In Smaller Groups At A Time Would Be A Much Better Idea.”

“Oh yeah, you have a point. I’ll go with you after I get some food!” The kitty girl bounds over her sleeping friends on the floor and gets something from the closet, leaving the jade and teal blood alone. Terezi finishes her noodles with a loud slurp and a happy sigh. She smells that Kanaya isn’t done with hers yet and that she’s just fiddling with it now.

“4R3 YOU S1CK OR SOM3TH1NG?”

“Wh-What? Me?”

“NO NOT YOU YOU DUMMY, TH3 FUCK1NG W4LL.”

“Ah..... Your Questions Just Bothered Me Is All....”

“Y34H?”

“Yes! They’re Dumb Questions And They Frustrate Me. Or Rather You Frustrate Me For Even Uttering Them. ‘WHY’ You Said. Ha! There Are So Many Angry Answers I Want To Give You But I Know That Wouldn’t Be Right... I Feel Like Askign You What You Would Do If Karkat Was Taken Again? By The Condescension Instead Of Just By Eridan And Dualscar. What If He Was In Real True Danger? What If I Dared To Ask You ‘Why Do You Want To Follow The Only Person Who Could Help Us Get Closer To Saving Them?’ Do You Understand My Frustration? ‘Why’ Is A Terrible Question. The Real Question You Should Have Asked Even In Jest Is ‘When Are We Leaving’.” Terezi chuckles a little.

“W3LL DUH. 1’D R41S3 H3LL. 1’M SORRY TH4T MY QU3ST1ONS SOUND3D...... WRONG? TH4T TH3Y D1DN’T SOUND—"

“It’s Done Terezi. I Will Not Discuss This Further.” She proceeds to eat her noodles and slurp up the broth that was left and puts it in a disposal basket, then walks off. Terezi is a little shocked, unused to Kanaya being snappy like that. Maybe she took it too far too soon?... Hm. Well that’s too fucking bad. Questions are hard sometimes and you have to deal with it. 

Terezi stands up and throws her cup in the garbage too, remembering where the sound echoed from and copying it. She walks over to her friends to step over them to grab her rain coat thing just in case the rain came back in unexpectedly, and notices that Feferi and Eridan’s smells are cuddled together. Huh.

“H3Y F3F3R1, G3T UP, W3’R3 GO1NG OUT.” Feferi grumbles a little and opens an orange eye very tiredly..... She takes a few seconds to realize that she’s gone and curled up to Eridan in her sleep. With a tiny gasp she sits up and looks at her sleeping friend.... She frowns a little...

“WH4T’S WRONG?”

“Huh? Uh, nothing. Just tired is all.” Fef rubs her eyes and looks at Nepeta stuffing a sandwich into her mouth and Kanaya adjusting her outfit so it was straight, then up at Terezi.

“I sense some negative energy. Is everything okay?”

“OH Y34H 1T’S OK4Y. 1 M4D3 K4N4Y4 4 L1TTL3 M4D 1S 4LL.”

“Well then. You shouldn’t go and do that.” Feferi stands up and stretches, remembering she has on a nice dark cobalt color. It’s not her pink though and she dislikes it. The sleeves are long and have a strap around the first half of the arms.

“Aw man. I really miss my pink already.”

“H3H. NOT US3D TO B31NG ROY4LTY HUH?”

“It’s pretty weird. Don’t you feel weird in that blue color?”

“3H 1 GU3SS 1T’S 4 L1TTL3 STR4NG3....”

“ExcUUUUUUUUSE you guys, 8ut co8alt is obviously the 8est color.” Vriska sits up and rubs her eyes a little.

“Oh, morning Vriska!”

“Hey. So what are we leaving yet?”

“Y34H. 1 W4S TH1NK1NG W3 COULD SEP4R4T3 1NTO SM4LL3R GROUPS. K4N4Y4 S4YS 1T’LL LOOK L3SS SUSP1C1OUS.” Vriska stretches and then stands up, grabbing her glasses.

“Yeah well she’s right. Splitting up sounds like a good idea. We don’t know these people and they could freak out if a crap ton of new people in a group just wanders in. We’ll have to be careful.”

“You won’t have to be really right? Because you ARE a blue blood.”

“Heh. Yeah me and Equius got it easy. So you guys are gonna have to follow my lead. I think tod8s trip will be gr8.”

“YOU’R3 JUST LOOK1NG FOR 4 R34SON TO S4Y SOM3TH1NG W1TH 4N 31GHT 1N 1T.”

“Uh yeah it’s sorta my thing chalk eater.”

“Now Girls Stop That Already, The Others Are Trying To Sleep.” Kanaya walks up with her ugly raincoat on and she looks positively unhappy with the whole outfit.  
Aradia wakes up and looks at her friends standing and talking loudly.

“Y0u’re all being rather l0ud..”

“O-Oh. Sorry Aradia.” Feferi rubs the back of her head and smiles apologetically. Aradia sits up and yaaawns big, her teeth showing. She scratches her cheek a little and looks around.

“Are y0u all leaving? This is quite the vagina fest.”

“Oh my god.”

“Can I c0me?”

Nepeta bounds over and hands her and Feferi and Vriska sandwiches.  
“Of course you can come! Don’t be silly. We’re gonna find the little girl named Levina like Gamzee said we should.”

“0h yes. Thank y0u.” The girls eat and straighten up and what not, taking a while like girls do. The boys are completely knocked out for whatever reason, but the girls aren’t bent about it. They leave a big note for them on the floor reading “See ya l8r suckers. ::::) We’re going out.” 

()

As the girls walk out of the hive, they get half way down an abandoned dirt path and stop to discuss groups.  
“Alright girls there are Six of us! Going in three pairs of two would be good. We could also go in two pairs of three.” Vriska folds her arms and stands in front of the girls.

“Well we don’t HAVE to be in a group right? We could go solo right?”

“I mean if you WANT to go solo... Why would you wanna go solo Nepeta?”

“O-Oh I don’t know! Just a thought. If we ALL go in a group then they might be like ‘oh man why are we getting all these groups of girls?’ ya know?”

“Hm. I guess you’re right. Well maybe for a while we could stay in a group then break up and spread around town. We’ll meet back at the hive iiiinnnn two hours once we split. Sound good?”

“It s0unds g00d t0 me.” Aradia nods and rubs her eyes again. Sleepy Aradia. <3

“We have to stay with our blood colors. So Aradia Feferi and me are a group, so Kanaya and Terezi are a group while Nepeta is the first to go out solo.”

“We don’t have any money....” Feferi rubs her shoulder a little, and Vriska just shrugs.

“We aren’t gonna frickin’ 8uy anything are we? We have to keep a low profile! We shouldn’t get acquainted with any of the people who live here. Especially not so fast. Now. Aradia and Fef, you come with me. Nepeta you go first.”

“Got it!” Nepeta runs forward and is the first to disappear. Feferi gulps nervously.... but is quickly lead by Vriska and Aradia. They walk down the path, looking at the old abandoned hives and other shop buildings on either side of the path. The place was a grid like any normal town would be and the colors were all dark. No bright colors to be seen as usual. When they break from the abandoned part, they quickly come to a bustling market. There are blue bloods everywhere. There is the occasional teal blood that makes Terezi wonder why she can’t walk around with HER teal outfit on like normal.... There must be a reason she decides and drops it.  
Kanaya walks to one of the vendors yelling out cheap prices for glass necklaces and such.

“Hello There, Could You Tell Me Where I Might Find Levina?”

“If yer not gonna buy anything then scram.” The vendor is straight forward, and Kanaya does as he says and continues walking. Terezi follows and sniffs around. There are vendors selling food, clothes and other random things one would see at a market place.   
Kanaya looks around carefully and decides to lead Terezi into a building, hoping the inside people would be nicer than that last vendor was.

“H3Y BUDDY WH3R3’S L3V1N4?”

“Huh? The hell do you want with Levina?” This was a hard question to answer. The towns people must be close enough to know what the right answer must be. So Kanaya quickly speaks up.

“She Called For Our Presence And We--- Just Need To Locate Her Is All.”

“She’s where she always is you morons.”

“JUST M4K1N’ SUR3, TH4NKS BUB.” They quickly leave, ignoring the stares they get from a few people.

“Phew.... This Is Difficult. Everyone Here Knows Everyone Else And We’re The Only Ones Who Have No Clue About Anything. Perhaps We Should Have Brought The Boys....” Kanaya fiddles with her fingers nervously and looks around for help. They don’t know what this girl even looks like. They know nothing about her, only that they have to find her.   
“N4H W3 C4N DO TH1S.... W3 GOT TH1S.”

 

On the other side of town already is the quick Nepeta, light on her feet and quick as a ghost. She sniffs around, as if that would help her find the one person they needed.  
“Hmmmmm....” She stands and folds her arms, suddenly noticing that her outfit was a little too big and loose for her. Eh.

The olive blooded troll walks around happily with a smile on her face, ready to deal with this new place. The stares she get don’t really bother her because if she changed personalities to quickly people would surely get suspicious of her. A building catches Nepeta’s eyes and they go huge.

“AHA!” The sign reads ‘Levina’s’ and that’s it. She runs in there and sees a few younger trolls in there talking and flirting in their own weird quadrant way. So this place is for the younger crowed then. Everyone looks pretty nice and they don’t stare at her like the people outside did.   
She goes to the front desk and a very old lady is standing there.

“Hello dear what can I do for you?”  
“I have to talk to Levina.”

“Ah one moment. Levina dear! A nice girl wants to see you! Haha. I’m only joking. I’m Levina.”

“Oh? Hi! I have to talk to you right now.”

“Right NOW?”

“Uu---uh.... Well.... M.. I guess not this second... I have to wait for my friends.”

“Ah. Perhaps finding them and bringing them would be easier?”

“Hmmm yeah that’s a good idea. Please don’t leave though? We really have to talk to you.”

“I know.” The old Levina smiles at Nepeta and shoos her away.

“I’ll be here.”

“Thanks ma’am!” Nepeta runs out like a bolt of lightning, getting wide eyed looks from the customers. She runs hard and fast to find her friends!!! SHE FOUND LEVINA WOOO!  
Back towards Vriska, she’s already begun arguing with another cobalt troll about something irrelevant. Until she changes the subject.

“Look I ain’t got time to talk prices with you 8u8. Where’s Levina?”

“You’re shittin’ me! She’s where she always is at her restaurant. You know. The one with her fuckin’ name in it?”

“Well shit she could have gone out, WOW WHAT A FUCKING CONCEPT. Whatever, thanks.” She walks off, and Aradia and Feferi follow her.

“Are y0u sure this is h0w y0u handle—"

“I handled it didn’t I? I know how to work with these guys, don’t worry a8out it. 8efore the adults were 8anned I did have to deal with a lot of them you know, so I remem8er how to deal with things.”

“I trust you Vriska!”

“I’m n0t saying I d0n’t trust her.”

“Alright girls that’s enough. So she has a restaurant with her name on it. That’s helpful. 8etter than nothing.”

“Yes. But n0w h0w d0 we ask where it is?...”

“Well duh. We ASK WHERE IT IS. Silly.” 

“Just out of the blue?” 

“Yeah. Out of the 8lue guys. Just let me take care of this stuff.” They walk forward and speak to a few more venders who just haggle them or ignore them if they don’t have any money. FINALLY one nice boy points them in the right direction and they head that way. On the way Nepeta runs into them.

“Guys! I found her!”

“Y0u did?”

“Yeah! She’s a super old tealish blood! And she’s really nice! Where are Kanaya and Terezi?”

“H3R3 W3 4R3!” Terezi and Kanaya run up to them, never having strayed too far to lose sight of them in the first place.

“So You Found Her Nepeta?”

“Yeah! Let’s hurry up and go! She’s waiting for us!” Nepeta happily runs and leads her friends through the streets. Feferi looks at everyone around nervously as they give them weird looks.... It’s very nerve wracking, thinking they’ll all be discovered and something terrible will happen......  
But without a problem, they all reach Levina’s place. Everyone is out of the bed and breakfast like building and Levina stands there at the front. Kanaya feels very nervous about all of this.....

“Hello everyone. Just like he said. The girls would come.”

“He?”

“You mean Gamzee?” Vriska steps forward a little and Levina nods.

“Indeed. come in the back and we’ll have a seat. Can I get you girls anything at all?”

“Ah n0 thank y0u...” 

“Alright then.” Everyone heads past the desk and go into the back which looks like a little lounge for workers.  
They all nervously take a seat and Levina eases herself into a large chair with purple cushions on it. The silence is ear shattering until old Levina finally speaks up.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you all.”

“Please Miss Levina, tell us everything you know....”

“Feferi right? Yes I can see how much like the Condesce you look. All of you look just as he described. He told me many stories...”  
“Isn’t he here?...”

“Oh no... In this version of the town... Gamzee never came. But he somehow knew this was the version that you all would land in instead of the one that he did. So he traveled in time and space.... I was a very very young little girl at the time when I first saw him. He was so big I thought he was going to step on me. Even with his huge hands, he was very gentle with me...... I miss him so much.” Levina’s face falls a little bit and she looks at her old hands.....

“Alright I suppose starting from the beginning is best. Ahem.  
When I was four sweeps old, Gamzee’s huge figure walked into my shop here and he scared the daylights out of me. But he just smiled like I’d NEVER seen one of his blood smile and he bent down to me. He told me to wait for him. I didn’t understand what he was talking about at all. Then he just left as quickly as he’d gotten there! I had no idea what the heck he was going on about, so I ignored it. But I often thought about it..... Wait for him. Why? Who was he?  
Years later when I was 4 sweeps old, he came back and this time he wasn’t at all the size he was when I first met him. He was younger too. He just looked around like he’d never been there. So I offered him something to eat and drink and he accepted. He told me about his story from the world he was from. He’d met a version of me that was the same age when he first met that me and he seemed very sad. I asked him why but he wouldn’t tell me. After a while he began to talk about his friends that he was trying so hard to protect and get to his world safely.  
But again as soon as he got there and ate, he left and told me to wait again. So I waited again for him. I didn’t know why I was the person he wanted to talk to about all of this... but he seemed interesting.  
When I was 7 sweeps old he came back again and this time he was even younger. He didn’t know as much as the last version of him did. His attitude was different. Like this time he had something VERY important to tell me. And indeed he did. He told me about his plan while it was still in his head. About how he’d gotten some wands that he was going to use to find his friends to help him.”

“Help him .... with...?” Aradia tries to get a little more to the point. As interesting as all of this was she wanted to hop to it.

“In his world... He told me that one of his best friends was in a lot of danger.”

“Sollux?” Feferi holds her hands tightly together....

“Yes, the yellow blooded friend. In his world where you are all from he told me that the Condesce had taken him while you were all fighting. And that he was going to chop that ‘sea bitch up into sushi’. I asked how I could help..... It was.... very dangerous. Conspiring against the Condescension. But I didn’t like her. I hated this city she kept us in. I hated her so much........ So I wanted to help my new frustrated time traveling friend. He told me that his friends would be here. I asked how he knew and he told me he saw it in a dream from the messiah’s. HA! A dream from the purple blooded messiah’s..... But he promised me that you would all come here. To ask me questions. So as I asked HIM questions, he gave me the answers I needed to give to you.”

“What Were They?”

“Well let’s see.... I asked why he looked so sad last time he saw me. He didn’t remember of course because that was in the future for him and the past for me. But I assumed it was because something had happened to me. We were both about the same age this time and I asked him what the me of his time looked like. He said I was still just 4 sweeps old running the restaurant with my lusus. I asked him what it was like to be with his other purple blooded friends and he said he hated almost all of them. The training was hard he said. I asked what training and he told me they were making sure he could be a good enough and strong enough grand highblood.”

“Wait WHAT? Gamzee was... the grand Highblood???”

“He IS the Highblood in that world. Yes yes. He said he managed to kill the big brute flat on his back. He told me it’d been a few sweeps since that had happened. He told me... that he only decided to go with it because he thought you were all dead. Washed away in the sea witches final attack on the dead troll world you were all at. He truly thought deep in his heart that you were dead... It was very sad, I’d never seen purple tears before.” Kanaya looks down and frowns...... 

“Wow he was.... actually crying 8ecause he thought we were dead?”

“Absolutely he was. He told me about all of the other adventures and about everyone’s relationships and the fun times.... The bad times he told me about too. About how much he regrets putting you all through such a mess. What could I do but listen to him and his stories? I wanted to know all about him. I wanted to know about his friends.”

“Wait if he thought we were dead then why did he know we were coming?”

“Ah yes sorry. He continued to say that on that third year he had a dream that all of you were walking in the desert, dying. He had this dream many times. Coming through a portal, living in the hive and then leaving the hive when it disappeared, walking in the desert and dying before you could even reach this far away city. He told me he would not ‘motherfuckin’ put up with this shit.’ I asked him what he thought he could do and he only said he’d stay here for a while and dig. ‘Dig’ I asked ‘You must be crazy.’ ‘Damn right I am, watch me.’ So he went off quickly and ran right out of the city! I couldn’t believe him, just running off like that. I chased after him but I didn’t dare go past the gates..... I was nervous for him because the acid rain could show up at any moment as you surely already know by now. But he left and I didn’t see him for a week. But he came back quite a mess. I wanted to laugh at him. But the determination I saw in his eyes was astounding. He only came back to get a drink of water! I asked my lusus to help him, and we all went out into the desert together.”

“Your lusus???”

“Yes. As I recall him saying at a later time if my lusus could guard the cave we were making for you all to travel safely through.” Nepeta gasps and covers her mouth.

“The slug creature?! That was your lusus guarding part of the cave?”

“Yes. My lusus, me and Gamzee all dug and burrowed away for months to get a cave. We couldn’t figure out how to close it up though. And suddenly we saw purple writing on the ground. It scared us a little bit, but I remember clearly watching the purple words say ‘I got this.’” Vriska nods a little and folds her arms.

“So the future Gamzee was talking to his past self to let him know that he’d figure it out eventually.”

“Indeed. Phew. Time traveling shenanigans. Anyway, we finally dug the cave allllllllllll the way to the city. And Gamzee finally asked my lusus when we were done, if he would guard the hole we were at. My lusus complied and he stayed there, using his whole body to plug the whole. I was sad to see my lusus go, but I trusted that Gamzee knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. Especially since his future self wrote to us like that. It made me feel better that my lusus was doing something for the cause. I thought ‘what cause’....... and I thought about that for a long time. But Gamzee reassured me that he was going to change the world with his plan. He was going to get his friends back if it killed him.”

Nepeta puts her too big sleeves over her eyes and tries to hold back tears.

“H-Heh. I knew it!... See g-guys? Gamzee did all of this.... Levina and her lusus did all of this to get u-us here. So we could purrogress and get Sollux back! He’s a loyal friend I TOLD YOU!” She sniffles into her sleeves a little and Feferi rubs and pats her back a little.

“Yeah. Gamzee is a real friend.... I never doubted him.”

Levina watches them and smiles.  
“After that he told me to wait again because his future self would be coming to visit me again. I thought that was strange, but I’m sure by that time he was able to control the wands enough to travel in a linear fashion. And sure enough, so many sweeps later I almost forgot about him, when I was 30 sweeps (65 human years) old he came back and told me to please be prepared. You were all going to come in a few sweeps. I had to tell you everything.”  
“Have you really told us anything though?” Vriska looks at Levina with half anger and half doing her best not to scream. So 100% anger.  
“You’re not patient enough Vriska, just like he said.”

“WHAT?!” Kanaya laughs a little into her hand.

“Now for the important part. The much older and bigger Gamzee I remember from when I was 2 sweeps old had finally come back to me and told me some terrible news.  
Sollux has been confirmed seen on the Condesce’s ship,.... being used as a battery.” Feferi’s eyes go huge and she covers her mouth.

“And this is why he needs your help. He needs everyone’s help to get him out of there... But he told me when you arrive, none of you will be even close to peek physical or mental condition to help him fight the witch. And so he needs you to get strong here in this world..... Because here... I’m dying in three sweeps.”

“It’ll be ab0ut then that we’ll have t0 leave...” 

“Yes. When you are done with your 3 years, I will die opening a portal for you all to get to his world.”

“Levina..... I don’t want you to die!”

“Ah it’ll be a natural death of old age. My caste only lives about that long. And that’s okay. Because I know I’m helping my friend, your friend.... and the entire world you live in as we know it.”

“But.... Will it help THIS world?”

“Think of it this way. There is only ONE version of the Condescension. She can travel to all versions of our world, being a time traveler...”

“Hold up! What’s stopping her from messing up Gamzee’s plans?”

“Gamzee’s magic. Right now the Condesce has no idea that we’re here speaking about this. His ‘chuckle voodoo’ he called it.”  
“His magic is strong enough to—“

“The wands Vriska. They must be helping amplify Gamzee’s magic that he’ll have gained.” Aradia nods a little thinking hard about this. He’s definitely got the Handmaids wands. That’s what he meant when he told the others to think of him as the new handmaid in a way.

“So.... Is That All We Need To Know?”

“Hmmm. Let me think.... Ah yes! He told me to tell all of you to keep a close eye on... oh what was their names..... Car kit and tavrass?...”

“Karkat and Tavros???”

“Ah yes them!”

“K33P 4 CLOS3 3Y3 ON TH3M? D1D H3 S4Y WHY?”

“He told me that you would all have very hard and impossible looking times. Gamzee has frozen the time in his version of the world so that you could all take your time with training and growing up correctly. So....... Some things will happen that will make you all think about important things... So keep an eye on the two of them. I think that’s about it...”

“WHY COULDN’T H3 T3LL US TH1S H1MS3LF?”

“He had more important things to get to than explain everything for you. Hehe. Like, carrying out his plans full of time travel to get you all here. Plans he had to get to to get your Sollux friend back.”

“444H GU3SS YOU’R3 R1GHT.”

They’re all quiet again.....

“So. For three sweeps I will always be here and you’ll always be welcome here. I’ll always help you in any way I can.”

“I’m...” Nepeta starts and fiddles with her hand, carefully looking up at Levina.

“I’m sorry about your lusus..... He died as we came through and asked him to move.”

“He did his job. He played his role and he did it all right. I’m proud of him and I know he needed a good eternal rest. I’m not sorry at all.” Nepeta smiles a little and lets out a small reassured breath.

“So how...... are we gonna go a8out this three year training spree we have to do?”

“Well Vriska I’m not the time traveler!” Levina smiles and stands up.

“I’m assuming it’s your guys’ jobs to figure out what will make you stronger.”

 

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

LAST TIME  
()  
“WHY COULDN’T H3 T3LL US TH1S H1MS3LF?”  
“He had more important things to get to than explain everything for you. Hehe. Like, carrying out his plans full of time travel to get you all here. Plans he had to get to to get your Sollux friend back.”  
“444H GU3SS YOU’R3 R1GHT.”  
They’re all quiet again.....  
“So. For three sweeps I will always be here and you’ll always be welcome here. I’ll always help you in any way I can.”  
“I’m...” Nepeta starts and fiddles with her hand, carefully looking up at Levina.  
“I’m sorry about your lusus..... He died as we came through and asked him to move.”  
“He did his job. He played his role and he did it all right. I’m proud of him and I know he needed a good eternal rest. I’m not sorry at all.” Nepeta smiles a little and lets out a small reassured breath.  
“So how...... are we gonna go a8out this three year training spree we have to do?”  
“Well Vriska I’m not the time traveler!” Levina smiles and stands up.  
“I’m assuming it’s your guys’ jobs to figure out what will make you stronger.”  
TBC  
()  
The night has passed and Gamzee had gone back to his own tent for a rest. A humiliating rest. As he pushes aside the flap of one side of the tent, he looks over at the skull on the wall of the young Highblood before him.... Gamzee goes over and jumps up a little to grab it and takes him down and stares into his empty eye sockets..... He takes the skull into the throne room with that stupid huge chair, and he refuses to sit in it. Not only can he just not get up there without using unnecessary energy... but he really doesn’t deserve to sit there. So Gamzee sits on the ground facing the throne holding the little skull in his hands.  
“Yo. AtOrI sAiD yOuR sIgN wAs IaPeTuS oR sOmEtHiNg. So I’m GoNnA cAlL yOu ThAt NoW, oKaY?....... Yo mAn... I GoTtA TaLk tO YoU AbOuT SoMeThInG. i mEaN.... DiD YoU HaVe tO Do tHe tEsT ToO? hOw'd yOu dO It? I AiN'T SmArT EnOuGh fOr tHaT I GuEsS. tHeY KiCkEd mY AsS ToDaY.... I BeT YoU DiD It pReTtY FaSt. YoU AnD KuRlOz i gUeSs... WhY CaN'T I Do iT LiKe i bEt yOu gUyS DiD?.... wAs i nOt pAyIn' AtTeNtIoN Or sOmE ShIt? PrObAbLy. HeH.... Yo, WhY DoN'T YoU TeLl mE YoUr nAmE? i tOlD AtOrI YoU NeVeR SaId yOuR NaMe pRoBaBlY BeCaUsE KuRlOz dIdN'T CaRe aBoUt iT.... BuT I Do. I WaNnA KnOw mOrE AbOuT YoU AnD HoW YoU DiD StUfF........ CaN'T YoU SaY SoMeThInG To mE? aNyThInG At aLl mAn... I'M GeTtIn' PrEtTy dEsPeRaTe oVeR HeRe.” The skull is silent as one should expect. Gamzee’s head droops and he just thinks. He’s got nothing left in his life. And he feels entitled to feel like he doesn't want this life either as the grand highblood..... His friends, his only pillars of support are gone. Killed by that fucking sea witch---....  
He can’t kill that bitch if he’s weak......  
That’s it.  
Gamzee stands up and looks at the skull.  
“ThAt's wHaT I'M GoNnA Do. ThAt's mY ReAsOn... YeAh. I GoTtA GeT StRoNgEr tHaN HeR.... So i cAn tAkE ThOsE StUpId hOrNs aNd rIp tHeM OuT Of hEr sTuPiD FuCkInG HeAd aNd hAnG HeR By hEr hAiR... tErEzI WoUlDa lIkEd tHaT RiGhT? yEaH. tHiS Is iT. mY ReAsOn tO StAy hErE.” He stares into the empty holes of that skull..... and nods a little.  
“ThAnKs mAn.” Gamzee rushes back to the front of the tent and jumps up to hang the skull up, then runs out of the tent passed any juggalo’s that are out. They watch him run off to the training tent and scoff. Although some of them get curious and follow after him.  
Gam gets in that tent and rushes to the stage where all the equipment is still placed, jumping up and looking around....   
“RiGhT. i cAn dO ThIs.” The purple blooded boy rushes at one of the hoops that were no longer on fire and hops through it--- but the bottom of that gets in the way of Gams foot and trips him, right on his face. Smooth.   
He gets right back up and rushes to the other side, only to run back and jump through again. This time he makes it. Good, this is a good start.  
“Oi. What the fuck are you doing?” Calls a troll.  
“WhAt tHe fUcK DoEs iT LoOk lIkE I'M MoThErFuCkIn' DoInG? aRe yOu gOnNa hElP Me oR WhAt?”  
“Help???” The troll lifts an eyebrow so high it could have disappeared into his hairline.  
“YeAh. HeLp.”  
“Uh. No.”  
“ThEn pIsS OfF BrO. i aIn't gOt tImE FoR YoU If yOu'rE GoNnA DiStRaCt mE.” Gamzee presses onward and continues doing some of the other tricks. Of course he’s not very good at them just yet.... Well, he can ride the unicycle for a while, but since that doesn’t really help him progress, he gets off and tries to do---  
“Hey.”  
“WhAt N—oH. yOu.” The troll woman with the bird make up. What was her name again...Chebur!  
“What are you doing in here alone?” Gamzee looks behind Chebur and sees the first few trolls on the ground, having been shoved out of the way by her.  
“I'M.... PrAcTiCiNg. I AiN'T GoNnA LoOk lIkE No dAmN FoOl iN FrOnT Of tHe oThErS AgAiN.......” Chebur folds her arms a little and looks at Gamzee hard in the eyes....  
“Is that so. So you’re not giving up then?”  
“FuCk No. I FoUnD A ReAsOn tO KeEp fIgHtInG...”  
“Hm. I see.—“  
“SEE!? I told you! I told you he wouldn’t give up! He’s the Grand Highblood!” Little Tieono rushes in the tent, stepping on one of the grounded trolls face’s and rushes inside. The boys fire painted face is so wide with a smile Gamzee swears it’s gonna snap like a rubber band. Tieono runs up to Gamzee and hugs him around the waist, only to be yanked back by Chebur.  
“He IS our Highblood, so respect his space. If you had done that to the last one he would have crushed you under his heal.  
“A-Ah you’re right. I’m sorry sir!”  
“N-....No DoN’t WoRrY aBoUt It.”  
“Sooooo...” A different voice comes in, followed by many other footsteps. The whole gang walks in, the voice in front belonging to that crazy looking girl Reznia. It’s almost snake like, but it’s also husky and gritty.  
“You’re doin’ this shit without us? You idiot. You can’t fucking clear the test without us.”  
“I DoN'T GeT It... WhAt aRe yOu aLl cOmIn' In hErE FoR?” Gamzee looks around and back at everyone. The first thing he sees though is the boy his age, Marsho, running at him. The boy jumps up on stage and over Gamzee’s head and onto the acrobatic swing.   
“We didn’t feel bad for you if that’s what you’re thinking. You didn’t run away from this and instead you came back. I mean, you didn’t really have much of a choice if you wanted to keep living, but I admire that you were going to do it alone if you had to. So we’re here to help you.”  
“Yeah,” Reznia hisses.  
“So be grateful to us you little rat.”  
“Reznia calm down.” Kloshe clears his throat and pushes Persha a little closer.  
“Go on Persha get in position.”  
“Yeah yeah.” The angry little girl goes on the stage and gets on a different acrobatic swing. Everyone rushes the stage, but Kloshe dashes for Gamzee. Gamzee remembers this and he bends backwards avoiding the tackle. He kicks his feet up and turns himself around on his hand to face the others on the stage who are all in different places.  
“HoW ThE FuCk dId kUrLoZ Do tHiS? hE WaS WaY ToO DaMn bIg.”  
“He didn’t do it. At least not like this.” Kloshe speaks up.  
“He was young like you once. And this training is used on everyone to make sure they are worthy of being a purple blooded troll, and a believer in the Great Messiah’s. If they are worthy to serve the Highblood.”  
“W-WaIt a fUcKiN' sEcOnD, yOu mEaN WhAt i'm dOiN' rIgHt nOw iSn't tHe /HiGhBlOoD/ tRaInInG?”  
“Don’t be an idiot!! If that were true we’d all be eligible to become the highblood! Think before you say stupid things!!” It was weird to hear Reznia speak, considering her state of mind not too long ago.  
“Indeed.” Grooga looks down at Gamzee from a balancing spike.  
“This is only to make sure you can be with us at all. If you can’t at least pass this test then you are as good as dead. Even if you killed Kurloz, there are many more of us who are all very strong and not even you could kill us all if we chose to gang up on you.” Gamzee looks around at them all and notices this. Even the younger ones have a fire in their eyes. A purple blooded pride. Which he also notices the older everyone is, the more their eye color shows. Of course he knows as you get older your iris fills with color, but it was a little strange since all of his friends still had black eyes, including himself...   
“HeH. yEaH I FiGuReD. sO.... Ya'lL ArE GoNnA HeLp mE HuH?.... tHaNkS.”  
“Yeah yeah. There’s a point to all of this you know. It isn’t just to train your skills that you should already fucking know, but it’s supposed to make sure you know what the shit is up with all of us and yourself. Understand?”  
“Persha he’ll figure it out.”   
“HoW DiD YoUnG KiDs lIkE YoU AlReAdY PaSs tHiS TeSt tHiNg? YoU MuStA, sInCe yOu'rE ThE OnEs hElPiN' oUt.”  
“They’re prodigies Gamzee. All of us here knows what makes this exercise important.”  
“A lot of these trolls are lucky they’re still allowed to live you piece of shit.” Reznia again.  
“Most of them forgot what this fucking training was for! If you forget, then I’ll kill you myself!”  
Gamzee looks at her. He wonders what Reznia’s story is..... But he mostly wonders what he’s supposed to be learning from this.   
“Stop wasting time.” Marsho swings over to him and goes to kick him. Gamzee grabs his feet, but Marsho of course is strong enough to hold on and he just flings Gamzee into the air. He flails around, but remembers last time he did this it didn’t go well. Don’t panic. Just calm the fuck down.  
“I got you!” Persha swings over, her legs curled and holding onto the bar while she grabs Gamzee’s hands with her own. It confuses Gamzee a little but it suddenly clicks in his mind that this is how to do it. Good it’s slowly coming together. Persha drops him and Gamzee lands on his feet--- on top of Grooa’s feet who is standing on his hands! Grooga Kicks Gamzee up into the air when Marsho swings at him again. This time Gamzee manages to use his weight to flip and dodge getting hit, but he also grabs onto the boys legs again and swings himself up on the bar with Marsho, punching him in the stomach. Marsho lets out a breathy groan only to instantly uppercut him afterwards. The younger boy swings down and then back up on the other side to Knock Gamzee off, but Gamzee does the same thing and swings up, kicking Marsho off once he gets to his feet on the bar. The boy goes flying and Kloshe jumps and spins, Grabbing Marsho’s hand and swinging him up so he can at least land upright. Tieono rushes up, jumping off Chebur’s back and grabs one leg and yanks Gamzee off the bar. He’s so strong!!! Gamzee’s eyes are huge and he looks up at the litte boy holding him up with a big smile.  
“Sorry Sir!”  
“DON’T APOLOGIZE TO HIM ONO!!” Reznia jumps up there, flipping like a canon ball all the way up and thrusts her legs out, kicking Gamzee in the stomach very hard and sending him rocketing out of Tieono’s hand.  
“Awww that wasn’t very nice Reznia.”  
“Shut up and GET HIM!!”  
“Hehe. Yes ma’am!” The two run over there. At this point the main focus of all of this is in the top right corner of the stage, getting further up into the frame, the ropes for the curtains and sand bags and what not.   
Reznia jumps in front of Gamzee while Tieono jumps behind Gamzee. He looks forward and backward at them, then down to the stage where Kloshe points silently. Reznia stomps quickly over to him and goes to swing her claws at him. Chebur swings over on a bright yellow cloth for the aerial ribbon dancing and kicks Reznia in the face knocking her down over the railing, sending her back down to the stage. Tieono jumps at Gamzee and goes low, but kicks up at him, getting him in the throat. Gamzee chokes a little but he grabs the railing with one hand and Tieono with the other, swings backwards and throws the young boy down at the stage. Chebur swings back down to Gamzee and kicks him, knocking him off the ribbon. Gamzee doesn’t quite understand all the way what exactly they’re doing. Well clearly they’re sparring on the equipment, but why are they all helping each other and then fighting them and repeating? Grooga Kicks Gamzee in the back of the head before he can even land on the wood of the stage and sends him into the sky almost touching the top of the tent! Persha was up there waiting and she jumps down to kick him, but Kloshe jumps up there with his surprisingly strong legs and tackles her. The two are grabbed by Marsho on a ribbon and lets them land on their feet on the ground. In the mean time Tieono throws a rope to Gamzee to grab, which he does quickly. Where the hell are all these extra things coming from?? Maybe it was supposed to be seamless? Dammit what is he supposed to be learning?? But he’d do this all day if he had to to learn what it is that he has to understand about this training. Reznia said that most of the trolls of their caste forgot what they learned.... Gamzee notices these trolls are different from the other ones. The trolls outside almost seem mindless and... well they’re very much like Kurloz was. But the trolls he’s working with.... they seem to have a different way of thinking. They all seem very focused and precise, knowing exactly what they’re doing. They all seem to trust each other too...—Wait. That was it. Trust! Holy crap. He supposes it was a good thing to learn.   
He already trusted his other friends.... But to show up and not know these people at all... Trust was hard with all of these new people he has to learn about. He has to trust him. That’s what the other trolls forgot. They forgot how to trust one another and they became crazy like the highblood who trusted no one.   
Well he’s got it now.... He trusts most of these people. Tieono mostly. Children even in troll society haven’t yet learned the real way adults act towards each other. No wonder he passed. Trust comes easy to kids. He wonders how Persha passed at all since she seems very distant. Reznia was a whole other bag of crazy beans, but the others don’t seem to be scared of her at all. They trust her and she trusts them back. It’s formed a bond between everyone even though she’s super scary looking and sounding. But even so Gamzee would believe in her just like the others did. He chuckles as he flies around with the rope. Couldn’t they have just done a trust fall.  
Wait. Trusting is one thing but why do they attack him afterwards?  
“Are you figuring it out pet punk?!” Reznia uses the swing to flip over to him. Gamzee looks up at her, knocking him out of his thoughts. He hears another troll jumping up towards him, and he closes his eyes. Reznia tackles Grooga to the ground before he gets a hold of Gamzee.  
He opens his eyes and looks down.  
He has to learn when and when NOT to trust someone. They could be your friends or your lusus. But there is always the possibility that you will be betrayed and you have to learn who and when you can have faith in someone.  
Gamzee jumps down and decides he needs to join in for real now that he knows what the dealio is. He rushes for Kloshe after making short eye contact with Reznia. She looks at him and then at Kloshe and makes her way around.   
Kloshe sees Gamzee going for him and can’t help but smile inwardly, proud that Gamzee seems to have figured it out. He readies himself for the attack, and is surprised when Gamzee simply dives down on his knees and goes under Kloshe between his legs, and between Reznia’s legs when she frog jumps over the old man’s back and grabs him, throwing him across the stage.  
Chebur rushes in and catches Kloshe, while Persha jumps beside Gamzee. She looks up at him and Gamzee just nods a little.   
Ah he’s starting to understand. He wasn’t making eye contact with anyone. Gamzee can almost clearly see the intentions in the eyes of others now that he’s paying attention. Reznia stands next to Gamzee while Tieono and Marsho land behind. Grooga stands with Chebur and Kloshe.  
“Old fucks versus young fucks!” Reznia smirks with her fucked up protruding teeth, her eyes widening crazily.  
“More like intelligence versus idiots.”  
“HeY!” Gamzee chuckles a little and the young ones get ready for an attack, while the older trolls stand there ready as if they were born for it.  
“Well.” Everyone looks over to the entrance of the tent and see Atori standing there with his arms folded. Along with the other purple bloods all watching. They somehow all filed back inside the tent without the group noticing.  
“A-AtOrI!”  
“Did you learn what this was for?”  
“It sUrE WaSn't gRaNd hIgHbLoOd tRaInInG GoD DaMmIt. BuT I LeArNeD ThE LeSsOn.”  
Atori is silent and he looks at everyone on stage who nod at him and smile when their eyes meet.  
“I see. I’m glad. Don’t think this is the end though you little shit.”  
“HeH. aS If. I'M ReAdY FoR EvErY TrAiNiNg yOu gOt fOr mE.”  
“We’ll see. Good job everyone.”  
“AtOrI. i tHiNk wE ShOuLd dO ThIs tEsT FoR ThE TrOlLs wHo fOrGoT.” Atori raises an eyebrow in confusion.  
“Forgot? Who FORGOT?”   
“A LoT Of yOu gUyS I ThInK FoRgOt. BeCaUsE ThAt mOtHeRfUcKeR KuRlOz wAs tHe hIgHbLoOd fOr sO FuCkIn lOnG I ThInK YoU GuYs nEeD A ReFrEsHeR.”  
“He’s joking right?” A random troll says. Atori just shrugs and smirks.  
“I’m pretty sure he isn’t joking. I’m setting you up in pairs!  
“WHAT?! Hey!! We aint’ wrigglers anymore!”  
“Gamzee Makara said we should refresh your memory. And I think you should god damn listen to him.” Atori turns and looks down his nose at the noisy troll who just grumbles at him. Gamzee smiles a little.... An army... He’s going to build an army. But how would he convince them to try and help him take down the Sea-bitch.... If she did something to them they’d have a reason to fight back maybe.... it’s rare for an uprising against the Condescension.... Everyone knows how that ends. But he’s not like the other people. He’s not going to lose.....  
He won’t let the deaths of his friends have been in vain....  
()  
The group of colorful trolls make their way around the city after talking to Levina, and they’re all in quite a state of shock and thought.  
Gamzee could time travel. He’d gotten the wands from the Handmaid somehow and he was using them to help their journey along. Hmph. They suppose their lives wouldn’t be complete without some stupid god damn time travel bullshit.  
“She has Sollux.... so we all have to get really strong okay guys?” Feferi looks up from her feet.   
“YOU DON’T H4V3 TO T3LL US TW1C3.”   
“We’ll be here for three sweeps so we have enough time to get as STRONG as we can.” Equius flexes his arms a little and Nepeta jumps on his bicep and flexes her muscles too.  
“We’re gonna practice and train super hard!! We don’t let that stupid fish queen take Sollux away from us!”  
Tavros’ heart is still beating hard hearing about Gamzee... He thought they were dead... That’s why when they were in the cave and Gamzee was acting the way he did...... It hurts Tavros’ heart to know that Gamzee has suffered through something like that. Why is it always Gamzee? Why does Gamzee always have to be separated from them all.... This is destiny... and Tavros hates it.  
He looks down at his legs.... his metal legs. They would be his pillars of support. He got these legs from Equius so he could be helpful to his friends and to get Gamzee back without being a burden... And he would continue to use them to help his friends and to get Gamzee back... he wouldn’t be a burden anymore. Not ever again...  
Aradia looks at Tavros and sees the determination and focus growing in his eyes as they walk. She smiles a little bit and faces forward.  
Karkat on the other hand is angry. Why does life have to be this shitty? Why can’t they all just sit around and be normal fucking troll kids? WHY THE FUCK DOES THE CONDESCENSION ALWAYS FUCK EVERYTHING UP FOR EVERYONE IN THE WORLD?! God damn her.—  
“Karkat. Don’t Worry Okay? We’ll Figure This All Out And We’ll All Be Back Together.” Kanaya puts a hand on Karkat’s shoulder lightly and smiles a little with her natural black lips. Karkat just looks up at her.... and then back down.  
“I HOPE SO. I WISH I COULD BE AS OPTIMISTIC AS YOU GUYS.”  
“Well Just Remember We Have A Goal. We Have To Get Sollux. And Gamzee--”  
“GAMZEE’S THE GRAND HIGHBLOOD IN HIS WORLD NOW.... HE CAN’T JUST FUCKING UP AND LEAVE...... HE’LL HAVE TO STAY WITH THE OTHER DUMB ASS CLOWN SHIT STAINS.....” Kanaya takes her hand back and puts both hands behind her back.  
“I Suppose That Could Be True...... But We Still Have Three Sweeps. Things Could Change Karkat. So Please Try Not To Be Too Negative.”  
“WHY BE POSITIVE WHEN YOU COULD JUST HAVE IT ALL THROWN IN YOUR FACE? I’D RATHER THINK NEGATIVELY AND NOT BE SO SURPRISED WHEN I’M RIGHT THAN BE POSITIVE ALL THE TIME AND HAVING WHATEVER HAPPENS SLAP ME IN THE FACE...”  
“If That’s How You Want To Deal With It.”  
Vriska stays farther behind and watches the others talk and think. Watching them all was pretty interesting. Observing is something she likes to do. What she notices is mostly everyone is overly excited to get to work, and then sees Karkat being a grumpy negative asshole as usual. She had to admit to herself that the group without Sollux and his 2tupiid lii2piing was pretty sad. Although being without Gamzee wasn’t too bad.... He always caused trouble for the whole group. Come to think of it he was the reason all of this was happening at all. Damn him.... But she figures at least its making things interesting... Sigh. She also notices up front Eridan and Feferi seem to be debating on whether they should stay close or keep their distance from each other, and wonders what on earth is going on between them right now.  
Up front Eridan walks ahead of Feferi a little. Feferi looks up at him now and again and can’t help but think how much taller he got. He’s become more mature than ever and it almost makes her feel like a child standing next to him.  
“Eridan—“  
“Fef I don’t evven wwanna talk about it.”  
“You don’t even know what I was gonna say!”  
“Don’t doubt me Feferi. I wwill help you all get Sollux back. He’s my friend too you knoww.”  
“What?.... Friends?”  
“Wwell yeah. You’re kiddin’ me Fef. Wwe hate each other a lot. N-Not like that of course, but wwe’vve alwways been like this. And he took care of you. I owwe him ya knoww? He’s one of us and old fights mean nothing wwhen wwe’re in a situation like this.” Feferi looks at the back of Eridan’s head and she feels a pit in her stomach.  
“I’m.... really glad to hear you say that.... Back then you probably would have—“  
“I still wwoulda helped savve his stupid ass. If you remember right Fef, I tried savving us all by joinin’ Jack Noir before he fuckin killed us all.” Feferi looks up quickly at him and her eyes go wide.  
“That was crazy talk—“  
“I wwas still trying to keep us safe.” The fuchsia blooded girl looks shocked... It was a crazy idea. But... he really was trying to keep them safe.  
“I’m sorry...”  
“I told you last night, don’t apologize to me.” Eridan finally looks back at Feferi a little.  
“Look don’t wworry about it okay? Wwe’re gonna get this shit done and wwe ain’t gonna lose like wwe did last time.... That shit queen is going down if it’s the last thing I do.”  
“Speaking of which... now that that ghost troll planet is flooded, do dead trolls still go there? Or do you think they go to a different world when they die?”  
“Hm... I’m not sure about that one. I hope they go to a different planet... Because dying sucks. But to die and then instantly be eliminated from existence as a wwhole right after you land is pretty shitty.”  
“I don’t want to die Eridan...” Eridan quickly grabs her hand and holds it tightly as they walk.  
“Don’t fucking say that Feferi. I wwon’t let that happen.”  
“I don’t want YOU to die again either.”  
“If that’s wwhat it takes to protect you then I’ll fucking do it. Understand?” He looks back at Feferi again.... Feferi looks a little shocked.... and holds his hand back.  
“Eridan I don’t.... understand.”  
“Then stop thinkin’ about it. Let’s just focus on getting better at what we do and do what destiny has set up for us.”  
“You suddenly believe in stuff like that.”  
“Ha. No. But I figured you did.”  
“Well I DON’T clam head. We changed destiny last time and we can do it again. I know we can. Because it’s us.” Her grip on Eridan’s hand tightens and she walks in time with him.   
From behind, Karkat sees them holding hands and squints in their direction. Are they going red?   
()  
After their long walk back to their hive they stand outside and think.  
“Where are we going to go to train? I mean.... What if we get caught?” Nepeta fiddles with her fingers and looks at Vriska and Equius.  
“Well actually these 8lue and co8alt 8loods seem pretty toned down around here. They’re just selling shit and sitting around.”  
“That is rather unusual. All of my fellow bloo bloods were quieter than usual.”  
“8uuuut that doesn’t mean they won’t cull the shit out of us if they see your guys’ 8lood colors.” Vriska folds her arms, suddenly remembering that they’re both made of flesh instead of one being metallic. Heh. It made her feel good.  
“IT WON’T BE TOO HARD. JUST KEEP OUT OF TROUBLE WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IF WE GET CUT AROUND EACH OTHER IT’S OKAY BECAUSE WHO THE FUCK CARES. AND AROUND OTHERS JUST MAKE SURE TO HAVE ENOUGH CLOTHING ON OR BANDAGES WITH YOU TO COVER ANY CUTS OR BRUISES.”  
Karkat puts his hands on his hips and slumps a little. He thought all of this was obvious. But apparently not to his friends who were used to walking about with their colors in plain sight.   
“What about our eyes?”  
“AH YEAH I DIDN’T GET THAT FAR FOUR EYES. AS YOU CAN SEE MY EYES ARE STILL BLACK.”  
“Your eyes might be the first to turn, and if not yours then Aradia’s. The second someone sees our eyes changing color they’re gonna flip their shit....”  
“WELL MAYBE THEY JUST WON’T CHANGE FOR THREE SWEEPS. IF THEY DO I’LL JUST HIDE MY FACE. BIG WOOP.”  
“It IS a 8ig woop!”  
“i KNOW WE CAN TRUST GAMZEE.” Everyone looks over at Tavros and his unwavering face. He looks so sure of himself and the others seem to relax just a little.  
“wE’VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO TRUST HIM. wE’VE JUST NEVER SHOWN IT TO HIM. bUT I’M GONNA CHANGE THAT.... i’LL NEVER EVER DOUBT GAMZEE NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.”  
“Tavros....” Vriska sighs and folds her arms tightly.  
“Whatever... We gotta find a place to start. Maybe there’s a place where we can all REALLY fight and focus on training and shit.”  
“I’ll go look for somewhere!” Feferi raises her hand a little and smiles.  
“Are you sure Feferi? You’re also a 8ig deal with your 8lood being the color it is.”  
“Well I’ll just be super careful!”  
Eridan doesn’t like this idea but he can’t hover over Feferi forever... so he says nothing. Nepeta throws her hand in the air too.  
“I’ll go look for places too!!”  
“sAME HERE. wE SHOULD ALL SPLIT UP.” Tavros raises his hand and steps forward and gets a smile from Feferi and Nepeta.  
“Well you idiots what the hell are we gonna do here?” Vriska throws her arms up, then places them back down on her hips. Terezi stabs her cane into the dirt a few times mindlessly.  
“W3LL VR1SK4 W3 COULD JUST B3 P4T13NT 4ND W41T FOR TH3M TO COM3 B4CK.” Her tone sounds like that should have been the most obvious answer. Vriska just glares at her a little....  
“Any o8jections?”  
“Nepeta..... are you sure?” Equius turns to his meowrail and the shorter girl makes a thumbs up.  
“I’m sure! I did used to live in a cave you know, I’m good at this sort of thing!”  
“I suppose you’re right.”  
“Feferi, You Wouldn’t Mind Anyone Coming With You Would You?”  
“I just think going alone would cause less suspicion.”  
“Eridan, You Aren’t Going To Say Anything To Her?” Kanaya looks over and up at Eridan who simply avoids eye contact and just looks to the side.  
“She’s not a wwriggler anymore. Feferi can take care of herself. She’s provven that enough times if you ask me.” The jade blooded troll is a little taken aback by this, but at the same time she’s astonished at Eridan for making this choice. It’s very adult like of him.  
“I think I’ll stay here. I d0n’t feel like having t0 deal with that rain just in case it comes back.... Even with these rainc0at things.” Aradia puts her hands on her hips and looks fed up at the simple mention of the acid rain.  
“I guess it’s settled then. 8e careful you guys.”  
“wE WILL!”   
“Got it!” Nepeta rushes off quickly, followed by a wave from Feferi and metal running footsteps from Tavros. The rest of the group look at each other and then head inside.  
()  
Several hours pass for the three trolls searching for a good secluded place to train.  
Feferi finds many many empty hives. There are picture of blue bloods with their lusus and their friends and their quadrants. Food is still in a lot of the cabinets although it’s not salvageable at this point...   
During her search she starts seeing pictures of other blood castes. All the way down to Aradia’s maroon red. So this city was once home to nearly all blood castes?   
She wonders what changed....  
The abandoned hives don’t provide anything that’s useful to bring back to their hive and she looks for more empty spaces that are very far away from other trolls. She’s walking around freely though. It’s like everyone has run away from the outskirts of the bricked up city walls and moved to the center. So the entire perimeter appears to be a safe place.  
Feferi happens upon a weird looking stage like thing. There are remnants of..... Tent stakes.  
She bends over and rips one out of the ground. It’s been there for sweeps. The stage has been too. But.... it isn’t just the stage that surprises her. It’s what’s on the stage.  
Another black hole like the one that was in Sollux’s room in that first hive!... Feferi runs over to it and jumps up on the stage.  
“Gamzee?..... Do you have something to show me?” She sure HOPES it’s Gamzee anyway.   
The black hole swirls and starts to show a movie of what look like memories.....  
The forest from the deal troll planet!.... She sees all of them fighting the Condesce, but she can’t spot Sollux.... Wait....  
She was seeing through Sollux’s eyes! Every time he used his psionics, the screen would flash red and blue, temporarily losing sight. The scene flashes to Condesce shoving the mind honey down his throat. Everything flashes red and blue for a long time.  
After a while of watching, Feferi sees the flashing lights die down and turn black. A moment passes and then everything flashes white, the now flooded world of dead trolls completely devastated...  
Sollux’s panicked breathing is heard as the screen shifts side to side where Sollux looked. The sound of chuckling. Sollux turns around quickly to see the Condesce floating behind him with a smirk.  
“Poor little psionic boy. Lost like a wriggling barkcreature. You did something terrible you know.”  
“F-Fuck you!!! What....What diid you do two me?!?!” Sollux’s eyes are wide and he floats away. He’s tired from using his powers so much... but the bitch is right in front of him.  
“It’s )(ardly w)(at I did to you. It’s w)(at you did to your own friends. A s)(ame reelly.”  
“What are you fuckiing talkiing about?!”  
“You reelly DON’T remember. Awww. )(ow terribly sad. You murdered all your friends. Monster.”  
“ii.... No! ii couldn’t have!”  
“You DID. Look at t)(is mess. You killed t)(em all you little s)(it.”  
“ii wouldn’t!! You’re fuckiing lyiing!!! ii would never hurt.... my friiend2!”  
“A)( t)(at’s true. Let me see. Your stupid mindless clown friend went and killed a few as well. He relapsed and did quite a lot of damage.”  
“Gamzee?....... No way....” Sollux’s thoughts consist of “no way” “ii fuckiing knew iit!” “Gamzee you motherfucker!!!”  
“YES way. You and t)(at disgusting purple blood did my job for me! )(ow sweet of you boys.”  
“NO!!!”  
“YES!!”  
“Y...you flooded the planet.... WHY?!?!”  
“T)(is planet was on my list to take over silly!”  
“You 2iick fuck!! How can you rule a planet that’2 fuckiing dead?!”  
“That doesn’t matter. You have to make up for w)(at you did, taking my little toys away from me like that wit)( your stupid powers.” She holds her hand out and Sollux tries to blast her, but he has no energy left at all.  
“)(e)(e)(e! )(ow cute! Don’t struggle little Psiioniic. Your life will serve a purpose.” She grabs Sollux around the neck and puts memories in his head... Images of his friends dying and the ancestors being murdered.... He did this.... yes... Sollux is the one that did this.  
“ii.....ii kiilled them....”  
“Yeeess you did. And now you )(ave not)(ing. So you’ll come wit)( me to do your job, isn’t t)(at rig)(t?”  
“Ye2......”  
“Good boy.”  
The Condesce looks up into the sky as it descends upon the two of them. The queen walks inside of her ship with Sollux in tow, and when the hatch closes behind them, the ship takes off.  
The screen stops playing memories and turns black again.  
Feferi’s eyes are wide and she reaches into the portal quickly!  
“No! Don’t stop there!! Show me more!!!” The portal rejects her hand and cuts it to smitherines. She screams and pulls her hand back quickly, pink blood pouring from her completely mangled hand. It drips onto the stage and she gasps. The pain hurts worse than her realization that she probably shouldn’t have come alone, but she takes off her rain coat and tries to wipe away the blood with her good hand! Shit shit shit!! She’s in trouble if ANYONE comes to her. She’ll have to kill them no matter who it is... And if the people in the city notice someone’s missing they’ll come looking and find the group and all hell will break loose!!!!  
No no no no no no no no no no!!! Feferi cleans it up as best as possible and then picks the raincoat back up and wraps it around her ruined hand... The wounds reach as far up as her elbow.... This is bad.  
She runs as quick as she can back to the hive....  
()  
The day is hot as expected from the desert. But Nepeta is used to this heat by now and she travels swiftly and smoothly. It’s all gravy and she runs free!   
“Weeee!!! Hahahaha!!” it’s been a long time since she’s been able to unleash her wild side and just RUN. Not having to fight or sneak around or be cooped up. As much as she loves her friend, it’s so so so nice to just get out and be alone!!!  
After she uses her extra energy, she finds a small creek of water! Where the hell could it be coming from? This is a DESERT after all.... She follows it up stream and wonders where all the trolls are.... Being on the perimeter must have taken its toll on the people who lived here. When she gets pretty far, she spots a well next to the water.   
“Well hey there!” Bounding over, she looks into the well and realizes it’s totally dark. Expected. She leans down on the ground and picks up a little rock and drops it to listen for how far it is.....................................................................................................Click! Wow. That’s pretty darn deep!   
“Hello!” hello hello hello llo llo o o o.  
“Hm!--- OWCH!!” A pebble hits her right in the forehead and she fumbles with it in her hand. Nepeta looks at the rock and her eyes go wide while her eyebrows furrow together....  
What the hell? How the hell.....  
Wait!  
The last time that happened was at the first hive when Tavros threw a rock into that first portal and it just rocketed back into his face. Maybe there’s a portal down there too????  
“Hup!” Nepeta jumps into the well and grabs onto the rope, sliding down further in. It’s still dark, but the faint purple glow of the portal swirling around calmly lights things up just a little.  
“Hey there little buddy!” The purple swirls go faster and disappear, forming into a memory.  
“What???? Just like that other one.... alright whatchya got fur me!”  
A blast of wind blows in Nepeta’s face and the pictures shows Sollux standing inside the ship looking at his feet. The Condesce walks over to him and lightly puts her skinny fingers under his chin and has him look up at her.  
“Awww. You poor t)(ing. Betrayed and left be)(ind by all of your friends. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.” She embraces the mustard blood and Nepeta can feel rage boiling in her. She isn’t sure what that bitch means by betrayed and left behind by all of his friends..... He wasn’t! She must have lied to him. That stupid fish cunt!  
Sollux doesn’t hug her back, but he doesn’t resist her either. The tall woman lets go and leads him away elsewhere.  
The portal turns black and then turns to a different scene. There are bones on the ground in front of some ugly purple and pink things that..... once held the Psiioniic. The bones are his and the horns prove it. Sollux doesn’t seem to notice or care though.  
“Now t)(en dear. Step inside.” She smirks at the smaller troll as he walks over to it and touches the vein-y rubbery restrains. The dangling pink goo grabs at Sollux and doesn’t let him go, wrapping him up, arms above his head.  
“Aaaa)(. It’s been a long time since I’ve )(ad a good psionic to power the s)(ip. Alt)(oug)( you might not be as strong as the Psiioniic, you’ll be good enoug)( to get me around faster. Now be a good boy and use t)(ose psionics to move us forward!” Even with the order, Sollux just stands there and doesn’t even try. The Condesce glares and kicks him in the stomach.  
“DO somet)(ing you disgusting lowblood!!” This time Sollux looks up at the Condesce with a glare and shoots his energy at her. Of course the tyrant dodges and screams at Sollux.  
“You’re lucky I kept you alive you piece of scum! You’re )(ere for one reason, and one reason only and t)(at is to power MY GOD DAMN S)(IP W)(EN I FUCKING SAY SO!!!”  
The portal turns black again and stays that way having done its job. Nepeta is ready to go into absolute rage mode, having to see her friend go through that. It’s almost like Sollux is partly under some kind of mind control or something! He’d never do that on his own!..... She climbs up the rope and exits the well..... This can’t wait. Nepeta rushes back as quickly as she can to head back to the hive.  
()  
For the three hours that Tavros has been looking for a place to train with his pals, he’s sat and rested a few times to just get a good look at his surroundings.   
He searches forever and finds nothing at all. It’s a huge bummer and he wonders if he’s the only one still out searching. What if the others get worried? Ah shit so much to worry about....  
He..... wants so badly to trust Gamzee. But even so he still doesn’t know what’s going on and that scares him a little. Not knowing what’s going to come next is terrifying and he just hopes he can deal with it all. He hopes his friends can deal with it....  
Levina would be dying when it was time for them to go since she would be the catalyst between the world the group is in now and the one Gamzee and Sollux are in..... Why couldn’t they go right to Gamzee? What happened in other timelines and other realities to make this the best option for everyone?... Tavros figures Gamzee must have seen many things... many deaths and many unfavorable outcomes to pick THIS.   
“wHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO GAMZEE?...” A thought worms its way into his mind and he takes out the note Gamzee gave him....   
“HeY tAvRoS. DaMn I mIsS yOu MaN :o( AnY tImE yOu GeT sAd Or FeEl LiKe GiViNg Up, I wAnT yOu To ReAd ThIs NoTe AnD rEmEmBeR tHaT i'M cOuNtInG oN yOu AnD wAiTiNg FoR yOu. YoU'rE a VaLuAbLe MeMbEr Of OuR gRoUp Of FrIeNdS aNd... MoSt ImPoRtAnTlY sOmEoNe I cArE aBoUt A lOt. HeH tHiS sOuNdS pReTtY cHeEsY bUt It'S tRuE. So LiKe I sAiD, iF yOu FeEl DoWn In ThE dUmPs, JuSt LoOk At ThIs NoTe AnD sMiLe FoR mE pLeAsE? I'lL sEe Ya.   
YoUr ReD qUaDrAnT,   
gAmZeE. :o)”  
Tavros stares at it for a long time.... and nods a bit.  
“yEAH... hE IS WAITING FOR US... i CAN’T GET SAD JUST YET...” He folds the note up again and stands up, running further into the city to do something useful for his friends!  
After another hour of searching the area he spots a building with.....his sign on it!?  
“w...wHAT?” Tav slows down and then walks over to it cautiously.... The inside is an average hive with nothing notable about it.... But there must be something in here for him to find.... He sure hopes so. With a quick look into the main room he sees nothing. Same with the kitchen and most other rooms. But when he finally gets upstairs into the other rooms he sees.... Weapons! Real ones! Real GOOD ones! Tavros gasps and rushes over to look at them.  
“yES! fOUND SOMETHING!” A few of them are the same.  
There isn’t anything for Aradia.  
A sweet new lance for Tavros, a sword actually inside the handle. He wonders in what situation he’ll need that.....  
Nothing for Sollux of course.  
New claws for Nepeta. They sure look dangerous.... oh boy.  
Terezi gets a real sword! Not just a stabby sword that comes in a cane, but a real thick heavy sword.  
Kanaya gets a new lipstick.... and Tavros doesn’t dare touch it yet. It could explode.  
Vriska gets some ..... creepy glowing blue dice and a cool new sword and gun. The gun looks like it can transform, but he’s not sure what.  
Equius gets some new gloves with spikes on the end it looks like. And a wrench???......... He must need it for something later.  
Eridan’s new rifle looks... even more deadly than before. It looks mostly like his Ahabs crosshairs, but it’s in his color purple now and the thing has more fishiness to it, fins and gills carved into the design.  
And finally Feferi’s new trident looks almost exactly like the Condesce’s....... But now there are dazzling fucia jewels in places, and the spikes are even more spiky...   
How on earth is he going to carry all of this?.... He guesses he’ll carry what he can--- WHA!!  
All of the weapons shrink just enough so that they can ALL be carried!.....  
“gAMZEE YOU BUTT I COULDA CARRIED THEM MYSELF YOU KNOW.” A little chuckle rises in his throat but he just grabs everything and stuffs what he can in his pocket. Not...Kanaya’s new lipstick though.... he holds that in his hand just in case it wants to blow up into whatever it does.... Tavros runs down the stairs *happily noting the stairs part* and totally books it out of that hive and runs as fast as his metal legs will take him!!! He can’t help but love how he doesn’t have to feel the sting of tired legs anymore. He can almost run forever as fast as he wants in these awesome things! Yes. He was going to help his friends win this war...   
And he was going to help get his fucking friends back.


	10. Chapter 10

LAST TIME

()

How on earth is he going to carry all of this?.... He guesses he’ll carry what he can--- WHA!!  
All of the weapons shrink just enough so that they can ALL be carried!.....  
“gAMZEE YOU BUTT I COULDA CARRIED THEM MYSELF YOU KNOW.” A little chuckle rises in his throat but he just grabs everything and stuffs what he can in his pocket. Not...Kanaya’s new lipstick though.... he holds that in his hand just in case it wants to blow up into whatever it does.... Tavros runs down the stairs *happily noting the stairs part* and totally books it out of that hive and runs as fast as his metal legs will take him!!! He can’t help but love how he doesn’t have to feel the sting of tired legs anymore. He can almost run forever as fast as he wants in these awesome things! Yes. He was going to help his friends win this war...   
And he was going to help get his fucking friends back.

()

Feferi is the first to get back to the hive. She spots it and resists the urge to yell to her friends. But eventually she gets to the door and bangs on it. The first to open the door is Equius.   
“F-Feferi! Your arm! Come inside quickly!” He ushers her in and Aradia rushes over to her.  
“What happened t0 y0ur arm?”  
“I....”  
“Fef!” Eridan barrels over there with worry in his eyes.  
“I.... R-Remember that portal looking through the world thingy?!”  
“Wwhat?”  
“YEAH. I REMEMBER, THAT THING WE SAW IN SOLLUX’S ROOM?” Karkat walks over to her too while Aradia tries to slowly open up the cloth to see the extent of Feferi’s wounds, sucking air through her teeth when she sees....  
“I saw another one at a place that looked like a... a stage! I went and looked at it and it started playing a memory from Sollux’s point of view!”  
“WHAT?? TELL US WHAT IT SHOWED.”  
Feferi explains what she saw.  
“That fucking 8itch! Damn her!!”  
“SO SH3... TR1CK3D H1M 1NTO TH1NK1NG TH4T H3 K1LL3D US...” Terezi grits her sharp teeth a little bit and lowers her head.  
“Yeah..... I... I did something stupid....”  
“YOU REACHED INTO THE PORTAL HUH?”  
“Y-yeah.... It ripped my arm up really good.” Feferi finally looks down at her arm and it’s completely mangled, pink blood dripping and flooding everything Aradia attempts to stop the bleeding with. Pink blood covers the bone showing on Feferi’s hand, her nails are destroyed and her grey skin is completely ripped it as if she’d but it in a wood chipper.  
“I fuckin’ KNEWW I shoulda come wwith you Feferi.”  
“Eridan I’ll... be okay really! It doesn’t even hurt!”  
“Don’t fuckin’ lie to me, I can see it on your face.... Dammit Fef don’t do something stupid like that again! I knoww you wwanted to help but doin’ something like that wwon’t help at all!”  
Feferi looks down. She knows that reaching in was prreeetty frickin stupid. She lost herself to her emotions and risked losing her arm.  
“I’ll be more careful....”  
Eridan stares at her a little...... and sighs.  
“You better. I’ll be pissed otherwwise.”  
“HEY!!” A familiar cat voice comes to the door and opens it up quickly, slamming it behind her!  
“Guys I found one of those portal dooh—Feferi!”  
“I’m okay! You found one too?”  
“AH! So you found one then too! Yeah! What did yours show?” Once again Feferi explains and Nepeta gulps.  
“I must have seen after that then. Beclaws in the one I saw Sollux was totally brainwashed!! He stepped into a thing with a lot of tentacles in pink goo in it and it trapped him inside! Fishy queen made a snarky comment and Sollux got mad and she screamed at him and then it went away! But she’s using him as the new power source for her stupid big ship!”  
Feferi nods a little...  
“Just like Levina said... That Sollux was seen on her ship.”  
“Yeah...” She looks down and her grip hardens....  
Karkat quickly speaks up.  
“DON’T FORGET. GAMZEE SAID HE NEEDED OUR HELP. SO SOLLUX IS STILL GONNA BE THERE WHEN WE GET THERE OURSELVES... HE MIGHT.... SOLLUX MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME GUY HE WAS WHEN WE SAW HIM LAST.... BUT HE STILL DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE AT THAT CUNTS SIDE AS HER FUCKING SLAVE.”  
“Yeah...” With a tiny nod, Nepeta takes a look around.  
“Tavros still isn’t back?”  
“AH... NO. HAVEN’T SEEN HIM SINCE YOU ALL LEFT.”  
“Hmmm... I wanna go look for him.”  
“We sh0uld let him d0 this 0n his 0wn.” Aradia wraps up Feferi’s wounds with some bandages she found stored in that closet. It’s like fucking Mary Poppin’s bag in there. Equius looks at Aradia and nods.  
“Yes. We must trust that he can return on his own”  
“A-ah I know! But I’m just a little worried is all...”  
Another ten minutes of idle chatter later and Tavros walks up the steps with a happy clinking. He walks in with a big happy toothy smile on his face.  
“hEY GUYS! gAMZEE HELPED ME FIND NEW STUFF TO FIGHT WITH!”  
“Tavvy!” Nepeta runs over and hugs him tightly and smiles!  
“Show us what you got Nitram! >:3” Tavros nods quickly and opens his hands up. Nepeta squints.  
“Tavros. We won’t be able to fight with things that tiny.... I think you found some wriggler toys.”  
“nO NO! jUST GIVE IT A SECOND! tHEY WERE ALL HUGE AND NORMAL SIZE WHEN I FOUND THEM, BUT THEN THEY SHRUNK SO I COULD CARRY THEM ALL. gAMZEE DOESN’T THINK I CAN CARRY IT ALL MYSELF THAT BUTT HEAD.” With that the weapons all grow back to their normal size and practically knock Tavros over with surprise.  
“Heehee. Guess he was right huh?”  
“n-nU UH! tHEY JUST SURPRISED ME IS ALL!” Nepeta giggles some more and spreads the new weapons out with Tavros. She spots her new claws and GASPS with excitement!!  
“Equius look at these things!!! They’re SO COOL!!”  
“Ah yes... they look rather dangerous.”  
“YESSSS! And look!! You got new gloves!”  
“Oh yes, look at that. V-Very nice. Look at the metal the spikes are built from!” While Equius admires his sweet new gear, Kanaya spots her lipstick and walks over to grab it.  
“Let’s See What This Does—”  
“I THINK WE SHOULD DO YOURS OUTSIDE KANAYA....” Karkat raises his hand and gulps a little. Kanaya laughs and nods.  
“I Suppose You’re Right.”  
Eventually everyone gets their new weapons. Karkat got some cool new sickles that are actually pretty heavy. In fact, Everyone’s new weapons are at last quadruple their original weight.  
“WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY SO DAMN HEAVY?”  
“Weeeeeeeell probably because we’re supposed to get stronger DUH. When we all get a little more muscle on us carrying our weapons should be smooth sailing. Ha! Well for you guys anyway. My new dice are as light as the other ones. I can’t wait to use these things.”  
“NOT IN THE HIVE VRISKA.”  
“Oh don’t get your undies in a 8unch. I know how my own dice work.”  
“1 R4TH3R L1K3 MY N3W C4N3. GOOD N3W SWORD TOO.~” Eridan can hardly pick up his new rifle at all!  
“HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRGGGGGGGGG!!! This damn thing is so heavvy!.... Equius you come try to lift it.”  
“Hm? Sure.” The taller blue blood comes over and attempts to pick it up. He appears to struggle just a little and Eridan just puts his hands on his own face and groans.  
“I havve to get stronger than Eq is right noww to evven LIFT the fuckin’ thing!?”  
“i CAN’T LIFT MY LANCE EITHER!” Tavros resorts to dragging it around and just laughing. They all have to get some real work in to even hold their own weapons.... Well it’s gotta happen one way or another.  
“We’ll all laugh at this one day you know!” Feferi smiles and balances her taller and heavier trident.  
“We’ll look back on today and go ‘HA! Remember when we couldn’t even lift our stuff to fight? Ah those were the days!’”  
“Euch, I wwon’t be sayin’ that, I’ll just hate myself for not bein’ good enough to pick the fuckin’ thing up.” Eridan grumbles when Equius sets his rifle against the wall.  
“It seems like Vriska and I lucked 0ut. 0ur weap0ns are either very light 0r d0n’t exist at all.” Aradia smiles and holds her hands up and shakes them showing that she’s completely empty handed.  
“Awwww you guys suck! I sorta like mine heavy though!” Nepeta swipes her arms around and her claws are actually heavy enough that they send her off her feet and get stuck in the ground. Nepeta flops on her face with a “BWAH!”   
“Ouch!”  
“DO YOU LIKE IT HEAVY NOW?”  
“Oh hush your mouth Karkat.” Nepeta wiggles her hands around in the gloves and ‘hmm’s.  
“They don’t fit me all the way. They’re too big right now. Hehe! That means I’m gonna get bigger! Taller maybe!”  
“IF YOU GET TALLER THAN ME AGAIN I’LL BE SO FUCKING MAD.” Karkat jokes and accidentally drops one of his sickles on his foot. He gasps and jumps in the air and holds his foot.  
“OW FUCK!!”  
()  
An army.  
Gamzee is making an army.....  
He sits on top of an acrobatic swing, watching his fellow juggalos fight each other in groups that he and Atori assigned to everyone. There are dark violet bloods flying in the air, swinging and punching and kicking. Some trolls lose their rhythm and have to start over. Although some that lose their rhythm just keep fighting like animals. Which makes Gamzee happy. Not all battles are timed or are as graceful. But not everyone knows the juggalo fighting style either soooo it should be good as a distraction anyway.   
Gamzee spots Atori fighting as well. Of course he’s doin very well and kicking the butts of everyone who gets in his way. It makes Gamzee smile, seeing such order.   
Eventually Gamzee raises his hand and everyone stops to look up at him  
“GoOoOoOd FuCkInG jOb GuYs!” He claps a little and then leans back and falls, using his legs to hold himself up on the swing.  
“AlL oF yAlL gEt SoMe DrInK. AtOrI.”  
“Yes. Alright everyone get your ass outta here. Good work today. We’ll be doing more training tomorrow so don’t fuck around and get here on time.” Everyone files out and talk about their matches, some getting into scuffs on the way that sort out eventually. After everyone leaves, Gamzee lets his legs straighten out and falls down. Atori catches him and sets him down.   
“HeHeHeHeHe. ThAt ShIt’S fUn As HeLl.”  
“I’m glad you’re enjoying your motherfuckin’ self. What’d you want to talk about?” Atori stretches a little and walks to the stage with Gamzee.  
“WeLl mOtHeRfUcKeR, i...” Gamzee thinks for a little bit and looks at his walking feet in thought. Atori says nothing and only jumps on the stage and sits down.   
“NoThInG I GuEsS... i jUsT HaVe a lOt oN My mInD AnD I AiN'T SuRe i sHoUlD TaLk aBoUt aNy oF It tO AnYoNe. TrUsTiN' pEoPlE Is a tHiNg tHaT I'M FiNdInG HaRd tO Do nOwAdAyS.”  
“That’s a bunch of moobeast balls man. Trustin’ me ain’t a thing you can do?” Gamzee jumps up on the stage on his butt and folds his legs.  
“NoT RiGhT NoW. wHaT AbOuT YoU? dO YoU TrUsT Me aT AlL?”  
“You’re our leader. Course I trust you.”  
“ThAt's bUlLsHiT AtOrI.” Atori looks at Gamzee a little confused.  
“Why? I don’t get it.”  
“YoU CaN't fUcKiNg tRuSt mE JuSt bEcAuSe i'm yOuR 'lEaDeR'. YoU CaN'T FoLlOw sOmEoNe sO BlInDlY... i kNoW ThAt pRoBaBlY DoEsN'T LoOk sO GoOd fOr mE... aNd i kNoW It's rEaLlY GoD DaMn sElFiSh oF Me tO AsK Ya'lL To tRuSt mE BuT...”  
“Yeah you DO have a lot on yo’ pan bro. Sorry ‘bout that. But lemmie tell you some shit.” Gamzee looks over at Atori a little and rests his head on his hand.  
“The older trolls know when we have a good fuckin’ leader. Even if you are just a kid, you already know we had a kid highblood younger than you before Kurloz. They trusted that kid. He was really strong and very smart. I remember watching Kurloz and the kid go head to head. The big guy just barely made it outta that shit alive. He was bigger and just slightly stronger. It makes me wonder if he somehow used the voodoo magic of the messiah’s to win...”  
“YoU DoUbTeD HiM?”  
“Sure did. We used to be pretty good friends. But when he went through the training we all did, something happened to him and he fucking lost it. Usually we just kill those motherfuckers. They’re too unpredictable. But he was just sane enough that we could keep him and use him as a great fighter if anything were to happen. Which happened a LOT. The rebel mutant blooded squirt came along and the Condesce didn’t like that shit. That’s a whole other story.   
The point I’m tryin’ to make here god dammit, is that I know a good leader when I fucking see one and I know that leader is you. I trust you and we’ll follow you to the ends of time, got that you little shit?” Atori looks at Gamzee with those bright purple eyes of his and in them Gamzee can practically feel the utmost sincerity. He has to look away.  
“For a Makara you have like, zero fucking confidence in yourself.”  
“EvErY TiMe i tHiNk i'm dOiN' sOmEtHiNg rIgHt i fUcK Up rOyAlLy aNd iT MaKeS EvErYtHiNg hOrRiBlE AnD GeTs aNyOnE I CaRe fOr kIlLeD...”  
“Load of shit.”  
“WhAt???”  
“Did you use magic or voodoo or the messiah’s powers to trick anyone into getting killed?”  
“WeLl nO. i wEnT BaT ShIt fUcKiN CrAzY AnD KiLlEd a fEw oF My fRiEnDs. AnD I WaNtEd tO Do iT. iT'S A LoNg sToRy, BuT I CoUlDn't eVeN Be sAnE EnOuGh tO SeE ThE LaSt fUcKiN MiNuTeS Of mY BeSt fRiEnDs lIfE. mY PaLe bRo... My... ReD BrO... aLl eLeVeN Of mY BeSt gOd dAmN FrIeNdS...”  
Atori reaches over and pats Gamzee’s shoulder.  
“Sorry man.... Look, let’s go get a fuckin faygo and rest up aight?”  
“YeAh SuRe.” Gam nods and they both jump off of the stage.  
“BuT I'M PrEtTy sUrE ThEy'd bE HaPpY To kNoW ThAt i kIlLeD ThAt sTuPiD GoD DaMn mOtHeRfUcKeR GrAnD HiGhBlOoD... iT'S HiS FaUlT ThIs wHoLe tHiNg hApPeNeD At aLl.”  
“You really hated him huh?”  
“Of cOuRsE. i tRiEd tAlKiN' hIm dOwN BuT RiGhT OfF ThE BaT He kIlLeD TwO Of mY FrIeNdS In a fEw sEcOnDs. AnD ThEn hE KiLlEd aNoThEr fRiEnD AnD HuRt eVeRyOnE ElSe. ThAt sHiT AiN'T CoO' wItH Me... No oNe hUrTs mY FrIeNdS AnD GeTs aWaY WiTh iT....”  
“I think that’s why you’ll be a good leader man. When Kurloz became Highblood..... lots of things changed. People thought of us differently and we were okay with that. We want people to fear us, we’re the fucking highest land blood there is and we deserve to be feared. If lowbloods don’t fear us then what the fuck is the point? But see you said your friends were of a bunch of blood colors. The whole fuckin’ spectrum. You think differently than Kurloz did and I like that. I think we’ll all come to trust you with everything we’ve got. So don’t worry too much about it. You just gotta... be you I guess you know?”  
They exit the tent and head off to a pretty shitty looking building, graffiti all over the place and parts of the building chipping away. When they get inside there’s a tall blue blood standing behind the counter. He looks shocked to see Gamzee.  
“U-Uh, hello what can I get you sir?”  
“Aw MaN. JuSt CaLl Me GaMzEe. GiMmIe A rEd FaYgO.”  
“You mean.... a wicked elixir?”  
“FaYgO Is wHaT ThE DrInK Is cAlLeD BrO. yEaH OnE O' tHeM rEd OnEs.”  
“Yes sir!”  
“I’ll take a purple one. The usual.” The blue blood quickly leans down to a cooler and brings them out. Gamzee frowns a little.  
“Yo yOu dOn't gOtTa bE ScArEd oF Me... I KnOw iT LoOkS LiKe iT BuT I'M ChIlL As fUcK My bRoThEr. YoU CaN ChIlLaX ArOuNd mE.”  
“A-ah... yes sir... Uhm... Gamzee.” This makes Gamzee smile and when he doesn’t do anything to hurt the blue blood, the guy relaxes just a tiny bit... It’s unusual for a purple blood to not assert their dominance any chance they get.... Gamzee takes his faygo and opens that thing up. The fizzy hiss almost makes Gamzee cry. God damn he missed his fucking Faygo. He tips it up and fucking downs that thing. When he gets to the bottom of the bottle he sets it down.  
“Wow. When was the last time you had a fuckin’ drink dude? You downed that thing like you ain't never had one.”  
“It’s bEeN A WhIlE... iT’S BeEn lOnG EnOuGh tHaT I ThOuGhT I WaS GoNnA DiE WiThOuT ThAt sHiT.”  
“Next time you want one just ask you idiot....”  
“NaH MaN, i'm a bIg bOy, I CaN Go aNd gRaB My oWn mOtHeRfUcKiN FaYgO. bEsIdEs wHaT If sOmE CrAzY MoThErFuCkEr pOiSoNs iT Or sOmE ShIt? I CaN'T HaVe tHaT. nOt nOw.”  
Atori walks out with Gamzee after getting a second red faygo.  
“Why only NOW? Why would you want to ever be poisoned later or EVER?” Atori asks as if the two were joking, but when Gamzee doesn’t laugh, he looks down at the shorter boy slightly confused. Gamzee is silent for a while.  
“I GoT ShIt tO Do aToRi. I CaN'T Be dYiN' jUsT YeT YoU DiG? i tRuSt yOu bRoThEr aNd i nEeD YoU To hElP KeEp mE AlIvE FoR A WhIlE...”   
Atori scrunches his eyebrows together a little, the tension in Gamzee’s voice suddenly very obvious. He looks forward and up at the purple-ing sky and puts a hand on his hip.  
“My help huh?... Well no one has ever asked me to keep them ALIVE before. Hehehe. But of course I’ll help you. You’re the—“  
“I'M JuSt a nOrMaL MoThErFuCkEr aToRi...”  
“Right. A normal motherfucker. Whatever you say bossman. Anyhow... wanna tell me what’s goin’ through your head?”  
The two walk down the dirt street quietly for a while... There’s a very nice cool breeze cutting through the heat of the desert surrounding them and their city. It doesn’t even smell though it’s so hot.   
From the side, a blue blood runs up to the two. Atori tenses up ready to fucking murder this guy for rushing on them like that, but Gamzee is chill and he waves to the blue blood.  
“SuP BrO WhAt's tHe rUsH?”  
“Sir, there was a sighting of that group of trolls again?”  
“HuH?”  
“On the first day you arrived here some of us saw a group of kid trolls walking outside the gate and then they disappeared. I just saw them again and they were inside the city this time! They were all comprised of lowbloods who I’ve never seen before, and no one let them in! I would like your input on the situation!”  
“You shit ass little---“  
“NaH, nAh, HoLd On BrO. So sOmE LoWbLoOdS ArE In tHe cItY. wHo cArEs?”  
The guy seems confused... Dealing with a new Makara after all this time is pretty fuckin weird. They’re so different.  
“U...uh.... Well this area is reserved for the nobility and higherbloods. Not only that but how did such people survive the desert outside with the rain we’ve been having recently? The previous Highblood would have us search for them and kill them....”  
Gamzee narrows his black and yellow eyes a little.  
“WeLl bRoSkI, i dUnNo iF YoU AlL Up aNd gOt yOuR NoTiCiN' eYeS On, BuT I AiN'T ThE BiG FuCkEr. I'M Me aNd i tHiNk dIfFeReNtLy tHaN HiM. iF ThErE ArE LoWbLoOdS In tHe cItY, lEt tHeM Be. If tHeY AiN'T HuRtIn' AnYoNe tHeN LeAvE ThEm aLoNe.”  
“Uh.... Yes sir... But... if they start causing trouble among our people then....”  
“ThEn jUsT CoMe aNd tElL Me aBoUt iT AnD We'lL TaLk aBoUt iT. iF YoU SeE ThEm aGaIn aNd tHeY'Re sTiRrIn' SoMe sHiT Up i gUeSs i'lL SeE 'eM To sEe wHaT ThEiR ShTiCk iS.”  
“And if they are not ‘stirin’ some shit up’?”  
“ArE YoU KiDdIn' Me rIgHt nOw hOmIe? JuSt lEaVe 'Em aLoNe.”   
The way these people talk about lowbloods is pretty irritating. Of course Gamzee is aware that in the old society the higherbloods ruled over the lower bloods and treated them like shit and scum and lower than dirt. But he was always alone, away from the people who shared his blood... And of course the adults were banned so he grew up far differently. He grew up with his lowblood friends and his royal friends and they all basically treated each other with respect.... uh... kinda. Gam always figured it was their personalities that made them act certain ways towards each other. Of course there was Equius who was always very strict about the hemospectrums laws and shit... and of course Eridan who hated land dwellers... But even that didn’t have anything to do with blood color or rank, he hates them because they pollute the water.  
So this blue blood being so adamant about possibly killing the lowbloods who , just EXISTING, is possibly disrupting the highblood way of life is.... mind boggling to Gamzee.  
Well he’s gonna change that shit right fuckin now.  
“Are you sure Gamzee?”  
“Uh, YeAh i'm pReTtY FuCkIn sUrE If i sAy sOmEtHiNg i mEaN It.”  
“Alright you heard the guy.”  
“Yes sir! I’ll..... leave the trolls alone. Until they cause trouble, then I’ll bring them to you!”  
“YeP, yOu GoT iT.”  
The blue blood walks off scratching his head, not used to such orders. DON’T kill the lowbloods? This new Highblood was fuckin’ weird.  
Although Gamzee was curious. This group of lowblood trolls walking through the desert... Spotted one second and disappear the next, and then spotted again inside the city only to disappear again. He wonders who they are and if maybe they need help... But he knows that trolls can usually take care of themselves... Strange. He guesses he’ll find out sooner or later.  
For now though he supposes he has some research to do. And it looks like Atori is his best source of information. Maybe Gam should get Kloshe, the super old purple blood to talk to as well.  
“You look like you got some shit goin’ on in your pan bro.”  
“I Do. I HaVe sOmE SeRiOuS WoRk tO Do... AnD I AiN'T GoNnA StOp uNtIl i gEt wHaT I FuCkInG WaNt...”  
Atori grins from the corner of his mouth.  
“THAT’s what a Highblood sounds like. Alright man, lay it on me.”  
“OuT In tHe oPeN PrObAbLy aIn't a gOoD IdEa... Be a bRo aNd gEt kLoShE FoR Me. HiM AnD Me aNd yOu gOtTa tAlK.”  
“You got it bossman.”  
While Atori walks off stretching his long arms, Gamzee walks back to his giant tent. Looking up at the wooden wall, he sees the small skull of the kid highblood.... He walks over there and grabs it up, then walks to the throne area, which by the way gamzee thinks is the stupidest fucking thing EVER, and sits down in the dirt in front of it, holding the skull in his lap.  
“GoT AnYtHiNg fOr mE LiTtLe gUy?... aNyThInG At aLl?”  
And of course, the skull is silent. Gamzee sighs and just stares at it...  
“HeH. yOu aIn't gOnNa bE QuIeT FoReVeR BrO. yOu'rE GoNnA HaVe tO AnSwEr mE SoMe dAy. AnD WhEn yOu dO It bEtTeR Be gOoD. lIkE, tElLiNg mE YoUr fUcKiNg nAmE. tHaT'D Be a gReAt sTaRt.”  
The horns down the center of the skulls head are dim. Not vibrant orange like they would be normally were the kid alive. It reminds Gamzee that he too one day will be a skull...   
He’s gonna make sure he’s not just ANY skull though. Not just another skull that has no memories with it, no name and no knowledge that pours into the minds of anyone who looks at it.  
No, he would be sure his life and his death would have meaning. When someone looks at his dead dim horns he wants people to know who he was, what he did and why he did it...  
“Yo, you mopin’ or some shit?”  
“HuH??” Gamzee snaps out of his thoughts and looks behind him, Atori standing with Kloshe, whose hands are behind his back, much like any other old ass person would be hunched over.  
“You wanted me sir?”  
“YeAh bRo,i wAnNa tAlK To yA. pRiVaTeLy fOr a sEc iF ThAt's cOoL AtOrI My mAn.” Atori nods a little and walks away. Kloshe stands there and waits for Gamzee to speak. It takes a while.... but Gamzee stands up and looks at the skull again.  
“Do you want to know more about him?”  
“NaH. i'm gOnNa wAiT TiLl hE TeLlS Me hImSeLf. WhAt i wAnNa tAlK To yOu aBoUt... Is uH....wElL ThErE'S A LoT I WANNA TaLk aBoUt oF CoUrSe...”  
“We will begin wherever you wish.”   
Gamzee nods a little to himself and bites his painted lip...  
“I MeAn... HoW OlD ArE YoU EvEn?? hOw hAvE YoU MaNaGeD To kEeP YoUr fUcKiN PaN StRaIgHt tHrOuGh yOuR WhOlE LiFe? DiD YoU HaVe aNy fRiEnDs?”  
“Hmmm...” Kloshe brings up his right hand to stroke and pull at his mustache and chin.  
“If I recall correctly I’m ninety two sweeps old.”  
“HoLy sHiT...”  
“Heh. Yes I’m quite old indeed. As for my friends they have all long since been killed for their ignorance... their arrogance and their stupidity. Some were culled for trying to betray our messiah’s. I suppose it is BECAUSE I’ve been alive for so long that I’ve managed to stay sane. It wasn’t always like that though.”  
Gamzee tilts his head a little.  
“YeAh?”  
“Yes yes, I remember much of my youth. Remember Reznia?”  
“Aw yEaH ThAt sOrTa cRaZy tAlL GiRl wItH ThE PoNy tAiL?”  
“Yes. I was almost exactly like her. I had almost no control over my own mind or my own body.”  
“WoW. i cAn't iMaGiNe. YoU'Re sO FuCkIn cHiLl nOw mAn. HoW MaNy hIgHbLoOdS HaVe yOu sEeN In tHe sEaT MaN?”  
“A few... Although Kurloz was the one who lasted the longest of course... I've seen six including you.”  
“CaN YoU TeLl mE MoRe aBoUt tHiS OnE?...”   
Gamzee holds up the little skull with both hands and Kloshe steps forward and takes it in his hands... He stares fondly at it.  
“Of course. He was much like you in that he was not worried about being the strongest or the meanest troll he could be. He was very nice to everyone and he smiled all the time. Although he was hyper, at times when it mattered most, he would become very serious and it was rather electrifying to see him get into battle mode. He was a VERY good fighter for his age and for his short stature. Also he insisted on wearing a cape.” A low breathy chuckle.  
“Many of us told him to take that silly thing off, but of course he insisted and would often run around as fast as he could just to feel like a hero he read about in books.”  
“HoW DiD He cOmE To bE ThE HiGhBlOoD So yOuNg?”  
A long stretch of silence later, Kloshe rubs the ridge of the eye on the boys skull.  
“Well he went through training just like you’ll be going through. He was extraordinary in his skills and even in his mental abilities. The highblood before him was a tyrant. He didn't respect our Messiah’s and would cull our strongest trolls for fun. To prove he was stronger. At the time we really needed all of our strongest trolls and he was fucking it up for all of us. And one day this little shrimp of a troll just walked up to the guy and smiled like a moron. We all waited for him to just get his head ripped off or something. When the highblood tried, this little runt would just spin and turn and cartwheel away. He made a real laughing stock of hid elder and it was fucking hilarious. I’ll never forget it.  
After a while of playing really, he jumped on the Highblood’s back and wrapped his tiny hands around his neck and yanked back with.... hardly any effort. Terrifying. To see a child so young rip the skin and muscles and bone completely backwards. He ripped off a good strip of skin down his back to his tail bone, then shoved his small hand inside the chest of his bigger counterpart. He ripped out his still beating heart. I’ll never forget his scream when he stared at it. It was pretty confusing. He was just shrieking at the heart. We never figured out if it was a personal grudge or if he was just terrified at what he’d done. Buuuut... hehe. After he took a bite out of the heart and stomped on it we figured it was personal.  
That four sweep old boy became our highblood that moment and he looked at us with a beautiful fury in his eyes. He was determined to change everything to the way he knew it would be perfect for all of us.  
His kindness confused all of us at first. We were used to a Highblood that would cull and compete like an animal every day for many many sweeps. And now we had this wriggler in charge! Smiling at us all and saying hello to us as he passed. He told us to NEVER call him boss, or highblood or sir or anything like that when we weren’t in battle. His name was all he wanted to hear from us.”  
Gamzee is quiet.... that kid... The owner of that tiny little head was...  
“He was so lively and he gave us hope...”  
“HoW..... hOw dId hE AnD....”  
“Aaah yes. A dark day that was, even for us. I remember very very well.” Kloshe nods and takes a deep breath.  
“He and Kurloz never really got along well. I thought for sure they were going black. They might have been... ah no I’m sure that was reserved for Redglare.... Anyway, Kurloz was about nine sweeps old and often times he’d barge right in and start screaming in the boys face about things that didn't even make sense. Kurloz wasn't taking the training too well. Like Reznia he was practically losing his fuckin pan. But our little highblood would hardly raise his voice. Although on occasion they’d get into serious bloody fights. Of course no one broke them up. We alllllll knew our leader could defend himself when he knew it was necessary. And we always got a show when Kurloz would stomp out with his paint all fucked up and blood coming out of his nose. Hehehe. Our boy here would stomp out of the tent and stick his tongue out at Kurloz, then spit where he stepped.  
We eventually all started to notice that Kurloz was getting bigger... We thought maybe he was having an intense growth spurt. There were some of us that were VERY large. But when he started to tower over us all we became worried. He was getting far far too large to be normal.   
One day he ripped the tent right out of the ground. On this day we received a grim reminder that we get new highbloods when the previous one is killed by a competitor... Our little Highblood just sat there and stared up at the monster in front of him. I was standing at his side. We were talking about something and the wind from the tent made a huge dirt cloud so we couldn't see a damn thing. But I think he knew...   
I tried to do my best to protect my leader, but I wasn’t prepared for the strength Kurloz had suddenly come to possess. He knocked me away like I was a fly on a piece of shit... I remember hearing our little highblood scream at Kurloz as he jumped up and went into battle.  
When I looked up I saw.. haha! I saw Kurloz swatting and flailing his arms like an idiot trying to catch that little troll. But alas... Kurloz finally knocked our little highblood to the ground and before I could run over to save him, that giant fucking foot stepped on him like an ant, crushing and smearing his body until it was hardly a stain on the dirt. Little guys head popped right off. Kurloz was carrying out the tradition of keeping the skulls of the previous ruler to show their strength. I never let him touch that boys head or his skull. Ever. If he got ahold of it, he would have crushed it in his big fucking fingers.”  
Kloshe can’t stop the memory of holding the tiny head in his arms close to his body, staring into the exploded eyes of his favorite person...  
Gamzee gulps a little and stares at the skull again...  
“WhY'D YoU LeT Me nEaR It tHeN? wHy hAvEn't yOu kEpT HiM AwAy fRoM Me? I'M... i aM LiTeRaLlY ThE EcToBiOlOgIcAl cLoNe oF HiM...”  
“I knew you were different. I can see it all over you. You may be his little clone, but you are not him. And I trust you with him.” Kloshe holds out the tiny skull that never got to finish growing..... and Gamzee takes it again.  
“Now... What was it... you REALLY wanted to talk about.”  
Gamzee looks up quickly and sputters a little.  
“We-WeLl ShIt MaN! I uH... Uh....UuUuUuH...”  
Gosh how could he talk about anything now that he knew who this boy was in life? He wanted to know everything! But he did have to focus on the here and now and get this off his chest.  
“Uh... AlRiGhT. i gUeSs yOu.... tRuStEd mE WiTh tHe kId aNd tHe sToRy... So i'm gOnNa tRuSt yOu wItH WhAt i'm gOnNa sAy... YoU CaN'T TeLl aNyOnE. gOt iT?”  
“Yes sir.”  
“I'M GoNnA GeT ReVeNgE FoR My fRiEnDs.... aNd fOr eVeRy tRoLl iN ExIsTeNcE WhO'S HaD To sUfFeR BeCaUsE Of tHaT StUpId sEa hItLeR... i'm gOnNa kIlL HeR KlOsHe fOr wHaT ShE DiD. i wOn't lEt hEr kEeP ToRmEnTiNg eVeRyOnE LiKe tHiS.... BeFoRe i gOt hErE I CaMe fRoM A PlAnEt oF DeAd tRoLlS. wHeN We dIeD We wEnT ThErE. bUt eVeN In dEaTh tHaT CuNt fLeW In aNd fLoOdEd tHe wHoLe gOd dAmN WoRlD AnD KiLlEd mY FrIeNdS AnD EvErY PoUr mOtHeRfUcKeR ThAt wAs tHeRe... I SaW WrIgGlErS AnD OlD PeOpLe gEt sWePt aWaY. i dIdN'T EvEn gEt tO SeE My fRiEnDs aT ThE EnD Of tHeIr lIvEs. I DiDn't gEt tO TeLl tHeM HoW SoRrY I FuCkIn wAs fOr aLl tHe sHiT I PuT ThEm tHrOuGh. I DiDn't gEt tO ThAnK ThEm fOr pUtTiNg uP WiTh mE AnD I DiDn't gEt tO KnOw oUr aNcEsToRs aNd tHaNk tHeM FoR AlL ThEy dId... I FuCkEd uP KlOsHe. I FuCkEd uP So fUcKiNg bAd...aNd wHeN ThAt mOtHeRfUcKiNg sEa bItCh cAmE... sHe tOoK It aLl aWaY. sHe tOoK AwAy eVeRyThInG ThAt mAtTeReD To eVeRyOnE On tHaT PlAnEt aNd eVeRyThInG ThAt eVeR MaTtErEd tO Me... So i'm gOnNa mAkE An aRmY.... AnD I'M GoNnA KiLl hEr... I DoN'T CaRe hOw i dO It... BuT ShE AiN'T GoNnA KeEp hEr bUlLsHiT Up... NoT If i cAn hElP It. KlOsHe wHaT I NeEd fRoM YoU Is yOuR TrUsT... yOuR HeLp. YoUr sWeEt aSs wIsE PaN AnD YoUr oLd gUy mUsClEs tO HeLp mE....”  
Kloshe’s old eyes are wide and he looks like he’s seen a damn ghost. It’s quiet for a long time, the wheels in both trolls’ heads turning and spinning quickly. The old troll looks into Gamzee’s eyes as he talks and sees something there. Something familiar...  
Finally Kloshe looks at his feet and makes a few nods to himself...  
“I see. Yes.... Yes. I will help you. You do know this is treason right?”  
“YoU'Re gOd dAmN RiGhT I KnOw iT'S TrEaSoN...”  
“Heh. So. We are your army. Are you willing to take that responsibility?”  
“MoThErFuCkEr. I WoUlDn't hAvE GoD DaMn sAiD It uNlEsS I MeAnT It.”  
“We could change the world you know.”  
“I kNoW...”  
Another nod from Kloshe and he sighs.  
“I suppose it can’t be helped then. We will be your comrades in battle.”  
Behind the curtain separating the throne room from the entrance, Atori leans against a stool with his arms folded.  
He heard the whole thing.  
And if Kloshe trusts Gamzee with such a mission, then he does too....  
And he will fight to the death for him.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	11. Chapter 11

LAST TIME  
()  
“I see. Yes.... Yes. I will help you. You do know this is treason right?”  
“YoU'Re gOd dAmN RiGhT I KnOw iT'S TrEaSoN...”  
“Heh. So. We are your army. Are you willing to take that responsibility?”  
“MoThErFuCkEr. I WoUlDn't hAvE GoD DaMn sAiD It uNlEsS I MeAnT It.”  
“We could change the world you know.”  
“I kNoW...”  
Another nod from Kloshe and he sighs.  
“I suppose it can’t be helped then. We will be your comrades in battle.”  
Behind the curtain separating the throne room from the entrance, Atori leans against a stool with his arms folded.  
He heard the whole thing.  
And if Kloshe trusts Gamzee with such a mission, then he does too....  
And he will fight to the death for him.  
()  
It’s now been a few days since the colorful trolls got their weapons. The damn things are pretty hard to adjust to... most of them being super big and all. Terezi and Aradia sigh a little after a little sparring match on the stage that Feferi found with the portal, which was no longer there.  
Kanaya is still having a hard time picking up her insane new lipstick. The thing turns into a chainsaw, a bat with nails in it, an axe and a rifle.  
Vriska on the other hand was having a great time working with her dice. She would only use two though to test the powers. If she used all eight dice some serious shit could go down and we can’t have that right now....  
Tavros, Eridan and Feferi are all hilariously trying to battle each other with their weapons, but when Eridan’s gun goes off on a WAY-TOO-HIGH POWER SETTING, everyone holds totally still in case someone from inside the city saw or heard.....   
After a long wait, Aradia snatches Feferi’s trident from her hands and spins it around after flipping in the air in front of the three. She smiles and wags her finger.  
“Never let y0ur guard d0wn!~”  
“I’m glad to see YOU’RE having fun.”  
“My whip is very nice. I n0ticed a nice little acti0n it does that if I’m especially f0cused, the whip will gr0w spikes. Very nice indeed.”  
Tavros walks over and touches it, some rusty orange brown blood pooling out of his finger.  
“wOW... THAT’LL REALLY MESS SOMEONE’S DAY UP. iT MUST BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE IF GAMZEE GAVE IT TO YOU LIKE THAT!”  
“Ah yeah that’s pr0bably true. I’ve hardly c0nsidered that. If in the future 0ur weap0ns are needed t0 deal the m0st damage, then all 0f 0ur weap0ns have a deeper purp0se than what we think we know. Pretty interesting if y0u ask me.”  
Eridan pushes up his glasses and looks down at his far too large rifle.  
“Hm. That is a pretty funky idea right? Has anyone really taken a good look at these things and think about wwho wwe’ll be in three years?” Karkat looks down at his own weapons in his hands and notices how big they are... He must get stronger and taller. Everyone here will get stronger and older. It’s strange for him to think about.  
He... he must live long enough it seems. If he gets a weapon just like everyone else, then that means he gets to be with them for a while longer for sure. Three sweeps for sure he gets with his friends.....  
Equius very carefully and lightly puts his hand on Karkat’s shoulder and talks quiet.  
“What are you thinking about in your small little head?”  
Karkat shoots out of his imagination and looks up at him.  
“UH, NOTHING WHY DO I LOOK LIKE I HAVE SOMETHING ON MY PAN?”  
“You do.” Equius’ tone makes Karkat look at his sickles again....  
“Is it because you know what you are?”  
“WE’RE GETTING A LITTLE TOO DEEP HERE. JUST NEVER MIND ALRIGHT?”  
“i WONDER WHAT MY LANCE WILL DO! lOOK HOW BIG IT IS... aM i REALLY GOING TO GET BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD THIS THING AND USE IT RIGHT?”  
“1’M SUR3 YOU W1LL B3 4BL3 TO. W3 WOULDN’T H4V3 GOTT3N TH3S3 TH1NGS 1F W3 COULDN’T H4NDL3 TH3M 1N TH3 FUTUR3.”  
“Why are we so dang excited to see Gamzee anyway?” Nepeta looks over at Vriska and squints.  
“We’re excited to see him beclaws we know he’s gonna help us get Sollux back!” Nep folds her arms and spreads her legs in a dominant stance.  
Vriska just looks over at Nepeta with her eight pupiled eye and glowers at her.  
“Is that it?”  
“Huh?? Well... of course that’s not it! Vriska what are you getting at?”  
“Don’t be dum8. I guess I just have my own reason to be excited to see that stupid clown face of his.”  
“Oh Lord Are You Going Quadrant Hunting Vriska?”  
“GOD NO KANAYA DON’T EVEN SAY THAT!” Vriska chuckles a little....  
“No that’s not it. I’m excited.....” Her eyes almost glow as the very thin line of her blue iris reflects the sun... The pointy smile jabbing up onto her face showing her white fangy teeth that are untouched by her blue lipstick...  
“I’m excited to see how... how strong he’s gotten.”  
Nepeta’s eyes grow a little.  
“I didn’t even think of that!...”  
“He must have tremendous strength....” Equius looks at his hand and then clenches it into a fist.....  
“Levina told us that our Gamzee took down the Grand Highblood did she not? And that he’d replaced him...”  
Everyone is silent. They all remember Gamzee’s strength before.... He was already very strong. And now he’s strong enough to have killed the highblood and taken over AND started a rebellion against Her Imperious Condescension herself......   
“1’M NOT L3TT1NG TH4T D4MN CLOWN F4C3 G3T STRONG3R TH4N M3!” Terezi’s sharp smile breaks out and her voice cracks with excitement!  
“TH1NK 4BOUT 1T! W3’R3 4LL GO1NG TO B3 4S STRONG 4S H1M WH3N WE G3T TO H1M! 4LL OF US TOG3TH3R... W3’LL R1P THAT STUP1D S34 B1TCH 4PP4RT.....UH... NO OFF3NC3 F3F3R1...”  
“Ha! No offence taken! Sea, when I get stronger.... I’ll be the only sea bitch there is, and I won’t be ANYTHING like her!”  
“Come to think of it Feferi, when the Condesce dies at our hands, you’ll be next in line to rule.”  
Feferi seems to have forgotten all about that by the look on her face. She looks at Eridan with slight shock...  
“You’re right. I’ll be.... Wow. That’s quite a thought. I’m sure everyone will hate me though... We look almost exactly alike... and we’re.... genetically the same person.”  
“Stop right there. Don’t you dare go into that nonsense.” Equius steps forward.  
“Feferi we all know that you are you and no one else. Not only that, but when they see you fighting her with all your might, they’ll have to see that you’re on their side!”  
“Fighting for the throne is normal though...”  
“THE DIFFERENCE IS YOU’RE FIGHTING WITH THE WHOLE SPECTRUM. INCLUDING A MUTANT LIKE ME. EVEN IF THEY’RE CONFUSED AT FIRST, THEY’LL SEE.” Karkat’s coal black eyes almost burn into Feferi’s. The pink blooded girl looks up into the sky....  
“I’ll really do my best then.... We all have to do our absolute best you guys!” Feferi’s face turns up in a big bright shark toothed smile.  
“Could I Be Your Right Hand Man~?” Kanaya raises her hand with a big smile on her black lips and Feferi chuckles.  
“I’d like that! You will be my head fashionista and ass-kicker!”  
Eridan watches as the two girls and others have a little chuckle... but he won’t be the one to crack. He won’t have these cute little moment friends have. Eridan knows they’ve got to get to that future.... and fix things to the way they’re supposed to be. He WILL get Sollux back.... While everyone is so fucking giddy about getting to see Gamzee and use him as a damn bridge, he’s going to focus on how he’s going to help Sollux. He wants to think ahead..... so far ahead that when they all arrive to that world, he’ll already be on the move... If someone doesn’t stop him then that’s how it must go... That’s how the timeline MUST go....  
The gun weighs a ton in Eridan’s hands as he can already feel the responsibility he knows he’ll have to take.  
He’s messed up too many times in the past... And even if it breaks his promise to Feferi.... the promise that he’ll never make her cry again. He will do what’s best for everyone. Even if it makes every being in the universe hate him with their entire existence........  
Tavros chuckles at the girls, but sees Eridan seemingly staring into the space that is reality as we know it, he raises his hand to snap everyone out of it.  
“hEY! lET’S GO AND TAKE A BREAK OR SOMETHING. wE’LL GET BACK TO PRACTICING AFTER THAT! oH YEAH, EQUIUS COULD YOU HELP ME BUFF UP!?”  
“H-Huh????” Equius turns to Tavros and folds his muscular arms.  
“mY ARMS ARE PRETTY OKAY STRONG SINCE I’VE HAD TO WHEEL MYSELF AROUND FOR A GOOD WHILE, BUT I WANT SUPER STRONG ARMS LIKE YOURS!”  
“Ah... well even if I do that I’ll have to constantly maintain your legs so they don’t look like toothpicks on your sOON TO BE RIPPED BODY.” Equius quickly flings his arms out and flexes them, gritting his broken teeth. Tavros laughs a little and flexes too!  
“wELL ISN’T THAT WHAT YOU LIKE TO DO? i MIGHT EVEN GET STRONGER THAN YOU!”  
“Nonsense. Impossible. I will help you though.”  
“Enough of that! BREAK TIME!~” Nepeta runs and jumps up on Equius back and swings onto his flexed arm.  
“Weeeee!!!”  
“Phew, yeah let’s get some water.”  
“VR1SK4 YOU D1DN’T 3V3N DO 4NYTH1NG.”  
“Hehe. Did too. Just because I didn’t work my muscles out doesn’t mean my brain isn’t tired!”  
The lot of them start to walk over to the stage to really sit down and take a rest. Aradia runs over with the bag of things Equius hauled over here. Water bottles and little healthy snacks. Kanaya insisted they be only healthy things for practice, and even though she got some complaints from Eridan and Terezi with their sweet teeth, they agreed if the healthy food was sweet. She told them she’d reward them with little chocolates she found in the seemingly endless closet of edible and non edible goods. It was good damn troll Mary Poppin’s in that bitch.   
The stage is now crowded with the colorful trolls sitting cross-legged in the center, or dangling their feet off of the edge.  
Aradia contemplates the better parts of the future with Feferi, while Terezi, Kanaya,Vriska and Karkat talk about their sparring matches and how to improve. Tavros, Equius and Nepeta all talk about how Tavros is going to be super buff it’ll be ridiculous and hilarious.  
Eridan has seated himself nearer towards the back of the stage while he thinks of other more important things.....  
Once they get into that world that Gamzee and Sollux are in... things won’t be the same. They might see the group in their true colors and flip out and attack them. Or they’ll simply think it’s normal. What will Gamzee have told everyone? Do these future people even know about them? How will they find Gamzee? Ah surely he’ll come to find them. But even so how does Gamzee know exactly what’ll happen? He doesn’t and Eridan knows it.... and that’s pretty disturbing. It’s just like before on that dead troll planet dammit. He’s being used as a pawn and isn’t allowed to know anything about the future, even when it involves his own life and the life of the people he cares about most...   
He gaze slowly rolls over to Feferi who’s having a great time talking bullshit about the future. How there will be fountains everywhere, some spewing water some spewing wine and surely Faygo for the crazy juggalo assholes. About how everyone will be able to live peacefully with each other and not have those god damn bucket collectors come around all the time.  
Idle chatter he thinks... There are things that are far more important to talk and think about than this shit....  
“-an”  
But if it makes Feferi happy even for a little while, then he’ll stay quiet and not bother her.  
Sollux will make her happy. He has to get Sollux back for her... It’s the only way she’ll truly see happiness in her lifetime... which will of course be much longer than his or Sollux’s... How ironic and unfortunate... to be a Tyrant blooded troll. To love and to hate only to have them die so quickly... She’ll surely forget about everyone after they’re all gone. She’ll start a new life every hundred or so sweeps and eventually her memories of any of this will fade into darkness.  
Eridan who?  
It sends his stomach into loops and makes him sick.... But more than that it makes him.... so so sad. Heart breakingly sad.   
“-dan”  
His heart beats so hard for Feferi... That’s the only reason it beats at all. Loving her from afar is hard. But he knows now... that loving her means having to give up on her affection all together to keep her happy.  
It sounds disgustingly poetic in his head and he tries to shake it off. But really Feferi was his only friend growing up... His lusus was always disappointed in him, and whenever he was so upset he wanted to do horrible things to himself and to others, Feferi would show up just at the right time to say something or do something that would make him think twice. She’s all he’s ever had and when Sollux and the others got in his way, he childishly became jealous and terrified that he would be all alone.  
“-ridan!”  
Even now that he knows these people are his friends and they trust him to a degree, he knows he’ll never win out over Sollux. That damn piss blooded piece of shit...  
He knew it was his own fault though. Eridan had talked crazy and when Feferi was scared, Sollux would be there for her to shield her from Eridan’s attitude and bothersome existence.... He regrets it all and wishes he could go back and slap his stupid self for being so god damn arrogant! For ruining everything and hurting his friends...  
“Eridan Ampora are you listening to me at all??”  
Eridan’s head shoots up and his pupils dilate a little.  
“Huh?? Sevventeen, harry potter, cocoa. Wwhat???” Everyone looks at him strangely.   
“ARE YOU OKAY? OR DID YOUR THINK PAN FUCKING OOZ OUT OF YOUR STUPID FISHY EARS AND INTO YOUR FOOD ONLY FOR YOU TO EAT IT AGAIN SO YOU COULD SHIT IT OUT LATER?”  
“Wwell that’s quite unnecessary Karkat. I wwas just thinking, is that a problem?”  
“Eridan I was trying to ask you if you were okay...” Feferi looks at him with her beautiful eyes and Eridan just looks at his little snack.  
“I’m quite alright. Just thinkin’ about things. Mostly about how I’m gonna beat all of you in practice wwhen wwe start up again in a feww minutes.” He smirks at the others and of course they take the challenge with their own grins.  
“You are so on Ampurra!”  
The others tease Eridan a little and he retorts back with a little more than his usual wit and the others laugh. It almost drowns out in Feferi’s ears though. He looked so serious and gloomy.... She frowns and hopes he wasn’t thinking of anything too serious. She’d called his name four times and it’s unlike him to not hear her... Darn it Eridan... Even when they’re not rails, he still makes her worry...  
“In That Case, I Say We Begin Again And See How Your Over Powered Rifle Matches Up With My Over Powered Lipstick.”  
“WWHAT??? No wway! You’ll chop it in half, I need this for later!” Kanaya laughs a little and covers her mouth, whipping out the lipstick.  
“Well Then Maybe The Bat Would Work?”  
“Too easy, it’s a bat! I’ll bloww that up in a second!  
“Don’t Be Silly!~ My Bat Could Probably Easily Destroy That Toy Squirt Gun!”  
Nepeta stands up and rolls her fists in the air.  
“Oooooohh!!! Are you gonna stand for that Ampurra?! Fight fight fight fight fight!” She continues to whoop and holler excitedly when Terezi jumps in!  
“ORD3R 1N TH3 COURT! 1’LL S1D3 W1TH YOU TH1S ON3 T1M3, SO YOU OW3 M3 GOT 1T?” She grins widely and points her cane at Nepeta and Kanaya.  
“Oh shit are we picking teams!? I’m on Kanaya’s and Nepeta’s side!” Vriska rushes up to her girlfriends and tosses her dice, the glowing blue light producing her new sword.  
Aradia rushes over to Eridan and grabs Karkat, dragging him with her!  
“Feferi, Equius that means you’re on our side! Hurry hurry!”  
Equius gets up rather slowly, not too keen on wasting energy for a foolish play sparring match, buuuut why not. Practice is practice. While he gets up Feferi jumps up and swings her trident around.  
“Prepare for a beat down!” She smirks a little keeping a close eye on---  
“wAIT WE SHOULDN’T FIGHT LIKE THIS!” Tavros jumps in the middle and makes a dramatic Ultraman pose with a big grin.  
“yOU CAN’T HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME! nOW THE ODDS ARE EVEN!”  
To the left is Eridan in the front with Terezi, Aradia, Karkat and now Tavros. To the right is Feferi, Equius Vriska, Kanaya and Nepeta. Eridan speaks up.  
“I can’t help but notice that I’vve strayed from the high blood team. Heh.”  
“Oh wow how did that happen?”  
“TEAM ERIDAN!”  
“TEAM KANAYA!!”  
Everyone rushes at each other and battle it out as gently as they can with these crazy powerful weapons..... Of course people get hurt though. Several hours of this weird training thing they’ve got going on, and everyone’s a mess. There’s dirt in their hair, blood dripping down arms and legs and faces, but not one person regrets this sparring match. It’s a great way to release tension and stress oddly enough.  
Kanaya and Eridan both fall to one knee, holding onto their weapons and panting hard. They look at each other as their respective teams are also at their last breaths.... but the two laugh and sit down on their butts, too tired to even try to look cool.  
“It’s been a wwhile since wwe’vve done anything that gets us goin’ like that!”  
“Has It Really Been Long Enough? How Long Have We Been Here, A Week MAYBE?”  
“Wwow.... that’s it? I feel like it’s been forevver already.” Eridan rubs some blood going over his eye away and then flops down on his back.  
“Pheww! Hey, the suns goin’ down. It’ll be really dark if wwe don’t get back to the hivve.”  
“Wow Look At That, You’re Right....”   
Kanaya looks over to the now setting sun and can’t help but note how beautiful it makes the city look....... Light reflects off of glass and sparkles on the sand. It starts to get cold out now that the sun is leaving it’s place behind the thick purple clouds in the sky that protect the race from burning alive. Kanaya of course lived in it her whole life so she’s used to it, but the others would surely burst into flames.  
Karkat stands up and just... DOES NOT wanna pick up those damn heavy ass sickles again... But he bends over and forces himself to man up and grab those things.  
“ALRIGHT GUYS. TIME TO HEAD BACK. I’M HUNGRY AS FUCK AND EATING OUT HERE WOULD---“  
“It’d be super fun!!! To camp out like this!!” Nepeta stands up as if she sucked everyone’s remaining energy up for herself.  
“WHAAAT??? YOU WANNA FUCKING CAMP ON THIS PI—“  
“Yeah! It’d be fun! We could have a little fire and we could talk about work out and training plans and stuff!!”  
“ARE YOU KIDDING? WHAT IF WE GET CAUGHT? WE’RE FUCKING DEAD IF SOMEONE FINDS US!”  
“Weeeeelll I’m sure if it doesn’t flow correctly with the timeline then we’ll get a sign somehow at the exact time we need to get it! So for now let’s take a hold of our freedom and STICK IT TO THE MAN!!”  
“I sure as shit 8n’t moving.... I’ll stay here if that’s cool with you guys.” Vriska lays on her back too and closes her eyes.  
“ON3 N1GHT COULDN’T HURT, R1GHT?”  
“i THINK IT’LL BE NICE! iT’LL REMIND ME OF WHEN WE WERE AT THE SUMMONERS CAMP! tHAT WAS A LOT OF FUN FOR ME.” Tavros smiles widely and nods a little. The others agree quickly, not wanting to move too far.....  
“Right!! I’ll go get some stuff from the hive!”  
“oH I’LL COME WITH YOU! gOTTA USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM!”  
“Hehe. Sure! Alright Tavros and I are outta here! Let’s go!”  
“yEAH!” The two run off quickly and Aradia just sits there still trying to catch her breath.  
“I d0n’t kn0w h0w th0se tw0 keep up such high levels 0f energy..... It’s nice n0 matter what th0ugh.”  
Karkat plops his butt right next to her with a groan and wipes some bright red blood off his cheek. It connects with the cobalt color of his disguise clothes and he remembers what he’s supposed to be.  
“SHIT. I GOTTA FIX THIS UP. CAN’T HAVE PEOPLE SEEING THIS.”  
“I w0nder if we’ll be hiding the wh0le time we’re here.....”  
“PROBABLY. LEVINA OF THIS WORLD SAID THAT GAMZEE NEVER GOT TO THIS WORLD. HE LANDED IN THAT OTHER ONE. SO THINGS HERE ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEY ARE IN HIS WORLD I GUESS.....”  
“D0 y0u regret anything?”  
“HUH??”  
“D0 y0u regret anything... fr0m the dead planet?”  
“OH.... I GUESS I DO.” Karkat looks up into the sky and thinks about what he wishes could have gone differently....  
“I REGRET.... SAYING WHAT I DID TO GAMZEE. RIGHT TO HIS FACE. CALLING HIM CRAZY WHEN HE NEEDED ME MOST. THAT WAS SUCH A DICK MOVE AND I’LL NEVER EVER FORGIVE MYSELF..... I COULD HAVE SAVED US ALL A FUCK TON OF BULLSHIT IF I’D ONLY SAID I BELIEVED HIM. I REGRET NOT BEING STRONG ENOUGH TO BRING HIM OUT OF HIS CRAZY PAN FRYING UP AND TRYING TO KILL US... AND NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO.... FUCKING DO ANYTHING OR SAVE ANYONE. I HATE BEING LIKE THIS. WEAK. IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TODAY RIGHT NOW I WOULD BE TOO WEAK TO DO ANYTHING.   
I REGRET TREATING YOU AND ERIDAN AND DUALSCAR LIKE TOTAL SHIT EVEN WHEN YOU WERE WORKING SO SO HARD JUST TO SAVE OUR IGNORANT ASSES. WE HAD NO IDEA THAT ERIDAN FUCKING /KNEW/ HE HAD TO DIE A HORRIBLE PAINFUL SLOW DEATH TO GET TO STUPID ME SO THAT HE COULD LEAD US TO YOU GUYS... I REGRET THAT I WAS SO FUCKING RUDE TO YOU EVEN WHEN WE GOT BACK. I WATCHED MY ASS THE WHOLE TIME BECAUSE I WASN’T SURE IF YOU WERE GONNA STAB ME AGAIN AND KILL ME PERMANENTLY..... THAT WAS SO STUPID. YOU’RE MY FRIEND AND I SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED YOU....”  
Aradia is quiet as she listens and has her red eye lashed eyes closed, nodding silently.  
“I REGRET BEING AN ASSHOLE TO THE SIGNLESS WHO FUCKING CARRIED MY STUPID ASS TO HIS HIVE IN THE GOD DAMN SNOW IN A BLIZZARD AND FED ME AND I WAS A SNOT TO HIM THE WHOLE GOD DAMN TIME..... BUT HE KEPT SMILING AT ME AND WAVING IT OFF... IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT I’LL BE LIKE WHEN I GET OLDER. EVEN THOUGH I’M MYSELF AND NO ONE ELSE... WE’RE GENETICALLY THE SAME SO THERE’S GOTTA BE SOMETHING BETWEEN US THAT’S THE SAME... UH.... ANYWAY, WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHY DID YOU ASK ME THAT? DO YOU REGRET SOMETHING?”  
“N0pe!” Aradia now looks at him with a big smile.  
“WHAT???! HOW EMBARRASSING...” Karkat covers his face and Aradia just giggles at him, slapping him on the back.  
“But I think b0th 0f 0ur perspectives are great! See, what I get 0ut 0f y0u regretting things is that when y0u c0me t0 that p0int again in the future, y0u can make a new ch0ice. Y0u can try t0 make the ch0ice s0mething y0u w0n’t have t0 add t0 y0ur 0bvi0usly large list 0f regrets. Y0u can make th0se mem0ries s0mething y0u’ll remember with pride and c0nfidence! But f0r me, I d0nt regret anything because my ch0ices were going t0 happen n0 matter what. Because 0f Handmaid’s time p0wers, I was able t0 make ch0ices b0th g00d and bad. If I messed up I c0uld g0 back a few times and see what went so wr0ng and fix them. I h0pe my time p0wers will impr0ve 0ver....... time.”  
“WOW YOU ARE SO FUCKING LAME I CAN FEEL THE LAMENESS LIKE A CONSTRICTOR HISS-CREATURE WRAPPING ITS ETERNALLY LAME BODY AROUND MY NECK AND CHOKING THE FUCKING LIFE OUT OF ME UNTIL I DIE A SUPER LAME DEATH. THANKS FOR THAT.”  
“Y0u are S0 welc0me.”  
Karkat rolls his eyes and just playfully punches her in the shoulder, which she reciprocates with a big red lipped smile.  
“IT MIGHT RAIN ANY MINUTE NOW, WE’LL NEVER KNOW UNTIL IT’S RIGHT ON TOP OF US.”  
“I w0nder what the rain is. What it means, wh0 sent it, 0r is it natural? s0 many questi0ns ab0ut that stuff. But that’ll have t0 wait.” Aradia stands up and dusts her butt off a little and helps Karkat up.  
“ALRIGHT GUYS MAYBE WE SHOULD GET OUT OUR GOOFY RAIN COAT THINGS.”  
“Ah yes I’d nearly forgotten about the rain. Is it safe to stay out here?” Equius pushes up his glasses, gaining yet another break. They were brand new too....  
“Fiddlesti%s”  
“WELL IF WE GET UNDER THAT LITTLE HOOD UP THERE TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE STAGE WE SHOULD BE FINE I THINK.” Vriska doesn’t even get up she just rolls over to the back and groans with every roll. Her cobalt blood making a small spot making a train behind her. Kanaya just chuckles.  
“You Used So Much More Energy Than You Needed To By Rolling Instead Of Just Standing Up And Walking Over Like A Normal Lady.”  
“Can it Maryam. Just let me do my thing.”  
“Hehe.~ I Wonder What Sort Of Results Your Dice Dish Out Once You Throw All Of Them.”  
“I dunno actually. 8ut I’m sure when the time comes and we need them to do some awesome shit, they’ll come in handy right aw8. Do you think your goofy lipstick turns into anything else?”  
“Hm. I’m Not Quite Sure About That Either. It Seems To Turn Into Almost Anything I Want Weapon Wise. That Should Be Very Useful.”  
“Sure sounds like it. I can’t w8 to see what we’re like in the future. Hehe. My vision 8 fold could help out a little.... 8ut I don’t want to w8ste it just in c8se I’ll need it l8er.....”  
“You should probably savve that vvision 8 fold powwer of yours.” Eridan walks up and sits next to Vriska tiredly.  
“I bet if you and Aradia teamed up durin’ the fight it’d be pretty awwesome.”  
“Teamed up?”  
“Yeah. Wwith your sorta future vvision and all, you and Aradia wwho’s our time player--... uh..... evven if wwe’re not in the game anymore.... her time powwers wwill be really helpful. Her little trick in the wworld of dead trolls savved all of us from drowwnin’.”  
“How would you even drown, you’re a seadweller!”  
“You’d be surprised. If too much air goes into your land dwweller lungs, they’d surely explode. It’s the same with us. Feferi and I would have been the only ones alive MAYBE. Wwe’d do our best to havve savved you but it wwould havve been slim to nothin’. So wwhat I’m sayin’ is Aradia savved our asses wwith her timey wwimey powers and wwith your freaky wweird eight pupils together wwould be a great help.”  
“I don’t exactly see what you’re s8ing... 8ut I sorta do too. We’ll see what happens. Say. What have you 8een thinking a8out huh?”  
“Huh?”  
“Yeah you’ve 8een sp8cing out like all d8y with a serious look on your f8ce. Is everything ok8y?”  
“Oh, yeah, nothin’ to wworry about... I just wwanna make sure I’m mentally prepared for the future you knoww?”  
“Yeah I do know. 8ut try not to worry Feferi.”  
“It’s a lot of wwork you knoww. Tryin’ to prepare myself AND not wworry people? I can’t do both...”  
“Well figure out a w8y to do 8oth. Look if this is a8out the other world than don’t fucking worry a8out it ok8y? You did what you had to do... it’s not your fault and I honestly don’t think anyone 8lames you for anything. And its pissing me off that you’re letting it get to you like this, it’s fucking 8ullshit. Get your shit together Eridan....”  
Eridan looks over at Vriska with a slightly sad admitting face...  
“I knew it. Don’t do anything rash ok8y? I’m serious. Don’t make me get all mushy or some shit. You’re....” Vriska looks at Kanaya who’s not looking at them but she knows DAMN WELL that hear ears are at attention. So she sits up and leans in to whisper to Eridan.  
“You’re my friend alright? All of you are my friends. And I don’t want you to focus on shit like that. I don’t wanna see you get hurt 8ecause you can’t get your head out of your stupid purple fish ass and living in the past. What’s done is done and I really think you proved yourself to us in the end. We didn’t understand what was going on at the time, 8ut now we know and we understand why you did what you did. So..... fucking get over it ok8y?” She leans away again and looks off.  
Eridan’s eyes are wide as he quickly looks over at her. She doesn’t look at him but he can feel her aura radiating. He gulps and looks at his knees that he’s curled in on himself......  
“Th.... Thanks Vriska...... That really..... means a lot to me.”  
“Don’t cry or I’ll send you packing to that dead world all over again.”  
“I’m.... not gonna cry you bitch.” The two laugh a little and Eridan lifts his glasses a bit to rub away the slight moisture in his eye....  
“I’m gonna kick your ass tomorrow in practice okay?”  
“Ha. As if you could. Wwe’ll sea.”  
“I fucking h8 you and your fish puns.”  
“Says the girl with 8 puns.”  
“I’ll turn you into canned tuna.”  
“Rude. Also I’m SO not a tuna.”  
“Says you. What do you think you are?”  
“I’m obvviously the biggest baddest shark ever, DUH.”  
“H3Y YOU TWO 1F W3R3 T4LK1NG B1GG3ST B4DD3ST R4DD3ST TH1NGS 3V3R TH3N 1 TH1NK 1 N33D TO B3 1NCLUD3D!”  
“Oh hell no Terezi! Your dragon shit is so over done!”  
“S4YS SP1D3R G1RL!”  
Terezi totally disregards Vriska’s obvious warning to not bother and sits right down next to her, leaving Vriska in the middle.  
“Heh. A shark and a dragon. You’re trapped. You are a spider sandwich right now.  
“Disgusting.”  
Vriska pouts playfully and Terezi just snickers.  
“F3F3R1 COM3 JO1N US 4ND OUR P1T1FUL L1TTL3 S4NDW1CH! YOU'LL M4K3 4 GR34T S4LMON TOPP1NG!”  
“WHAT????” Feferi looks over at the group and waves them off.  
“I’m not gonna be a part of a glubbin’ sandwich!”  
“444W YOU’R3 NO FUN! COM3 ON!”  
“Oh gosh fine.” Feferi smiles and jumps on stage a little, rushing over to them and sits next to Eridan.  
“HA. I’m the top bun!” Eridan points at the two girls and Feferi waves apologetically.   
“Karkat, let’s g0 be the red meat 0f this shitty sandwich!”  
“WHAT I DON’T WANNA BE INVOLVED IN THIS FUCKERY!” Aradia ignores Karkat’s plea though and grabs him, runs over and jumps on the stage, hoisting the light weight Karkat up with ease onto the stage and smashes right between Vriska and Terezi.  
Kanaya just laughs at the lot of them and shakes her head.  
“Equius Are You Seeing This?”  
“Indeed This is tomf001ery on top of 1000 prior tomf001eries. However I must say this sandwich is hardly complete without some STRONG horse meat.”  
“I Think I’ll Just Stay On The Side As A Drink Or Something.....”  
“We’re baaaaack!” Nepeta runs and jumps on stage carrying various objects in her purple coat (which Kanaya had kindly sewn up and repaired at the previous hive in the desert). Behind her is Tavros carrying food and drinks.  
“Wow that was fast you guys.”  
“We raced the whole time!” Nepeta laughs breathlessly and finally crashes to her knees on the stage, letting loose the objects in her coat.  
“But Tavros is TOTALLY cheating! He’s got robo legs now so he doesn’t get tired like we do!”  
“THAT’S A GOOD THING YOU KNOW. STAMINA IS STAMINA NO MATTER WHAT.”  
“I guess so. >_> I JUST HATE LOSING.” Tavros waves with both hands in surrender and chuckles.  
“aW COME ON IT WAS JUST A GAME!”  
“You only say that beclaws you won. But not next time Nitram!” Nepeta’s fangy catty grin shines in the rising moon.   
“Huh. Did anyone notice anything weird about that moon by the way?” Tavros looks over at Feferi who points at the moon. It’s purple. It’s not the same purple as the planets on Alternia that they could see.... It was more of a..... clown purple.  
“1T’S 4LW4YS B33N TH4T COLOR. 3V3R S1NC3 W3 GOT H3R3.”  
“Huh. I don’t wanna jump to conclusions or anything.....”  
“I think wwe all are thinkin’ the same thing.”  
Tavros stares up at it....................... and smiles softly at it, raising a hand to it. The others are quiet, letting Tavros have his moment. Karkat can feel his romcom feels shooting up again. Then he feels jealous. He wondered if Gamzee even though of Karkat as his moirail anymore. Or did that end long ago? Has he been replaced? Or maybe Gamzee is waiting.... It hurts to think that he may have been replaced... If so by who? Why? Well because they were with him all the time. Not like him. He couldn’t stop Gamzee from disappearing or from keeping control of himself..... Well he supposes that isn’t entirely true. When he, Aradia and Signless got to the scene of the fight, he was able to rush over there and with Tavros’ help they managed to calm the guy down. It still sucks that he’s basically worthless as a moirail. But then again he supposes it might be good that Gamzee won’t need a moirail. That means he has control over his fucking self which would be a god damn MiRaClE.   
Tavros just smiles at the moon and then looks at the hand he had held up for a minute. That tiny thin hand wouldn’t be like that when the time came to fight. He’d make sure he was useful no matter what it took!!  
()  
The ship is cold. It’s not exactly dark but it feels like it should be. The smell was of thick peppermint and it made Sollux’s stomach turn and gave him an aching head pain... Why the hell did it smell so fucking bad? Mint never usually bothered him. In fact it used to help his headaches when he’d drink peppermint cocoa as he programmed various things.   
His shoulders and arms hurt. They’re cold too... Anything below his chest is cold and he feels weak. He looks up and realizes his neck hurts. Sollux can feel his throat scratching when he breaths or swallows from his dry mouth.   
The smell isn’t mint. It’s metal. Hot metal. Why?.... Oh right. The ship. He looks around. It’s rather blurry but he remembers what’s there. To the left of him is the only source of light for him. It’s the control panel that the Condesce uses to regulate things in the ship. Which of course is no longer her job because she has Sollux in the stupid purple tentacle fuckery.... It makes him angry... Angrier and angrier as he thinks about it. The little control panel lights up a tiny bit on the top right corner. When his powers spark, the ships energy does too....  
It hurts.  
All of this hurts. The numbness burns his fingers and toes like they were frost bitten. He feels sick from not eating and he can’t for the live of him remember exactly when he got into this shit. In this room. Wasn’t he in a room full of windows last? No... The door was open so it let light in. That’s right. How can he get out of here?   
Sollux struggles against the tentacles again and even though it hurts, he thrashes around as violently as he can. Nothing works even a little bit.   
As he looks down on the floor to the left... He sees something that makes him throw up anything that was in his stomach.  
The skull and bones of the Psiioniic are laying there. Discarded almost. They looked eternally old. Like if he even breathed on them they would disintegrate.....   
His vomit is very acidic and it makes him wince when he swallows. His throat was dry but now it’s on fire. Just great. Tears start to form in his eyes. This is how he’s going to die. Just like his ancestor.... He was going to be milked for all he’s fucking worth and then thrown on the floor never to be seen again unless it’s by the next god damn person in this position.... He’d killed his friends and this was his punishment. This is what he deserves for what he did...  
The door slides open to his right. There stands the tall Condescension..... She has a smile on her face that’s almost calming in a very strange way.... She walks over and stands in front of him without saying a word on her way in. After she stares at the vomit on the floor she looks back up to Sollux with her pink eyes and looks him over.  
“I remember w)(en Psiioniic was in t)(is spot.... )(e was never so weak. )(e was so muc)( stronger t)(an you.”  
Sollux finds the strength and the voice inside of him to rasp loudly.  
“Fuck you you cunt... You probably.... braiin wa2hed hiim... Biitch!!” He spits at her feet and gets a swift and violent kick to his stomach. His eyes go wide as he gasps for breath while the Condesce twists her heal in his abdomen.  
“)(ow rude you little piece of kelp s)(it. I save you from t)(at stank ass planet and you repay me like t)(is? W)(at if I gave you somefin to eat? Would t)(at s)(ut your fucking ugly little pissblooded c)(ute?”  
Sollux is quiet. Mostly because he can’t fucking breath, but also because that sounds amazing... he’d probably eat dirt right now. His silence gets that heal out of his stomach and back on the floor where it belongs.  
“I’ll take t)(at as a yes?” She looks down at his pitiful form and puts one hand on her hip.  
Sollux wants food.... Oh god does he want food.... But.... The Condesce... It’s from her.... God damn her.... She wouldn’t poison it, that’d be fucking stupid. Not only does he not want any pity, but ESPECIALLY not pity from.... HER...  
“Come on sweety. Let’s get you some food.” She smiles sweetly at him now and reaches over to the pink tentacles. They open up and Sollux collapses on the floor next to his own barf. He can’t move a lot... with his arms and legs being the way they are. He feels like this is how Tavros’ legs always felt. Like they weren’t even there.  
Condy grabs his arm and yanks him up.  
“Come on you can stand up right?”  
“Of c-course not you f-fuckiing.....” Sollux wants to bad mouth her again but last time he did that he got a fucking giant heal in his stomach. And food was getting closer and closer. So he shuts his mouth and does his best to coordinate his legs again. He manages to stand up thank goodness and take a few steps. He’s barefoot. The metal floor is cold and uncomfortable. But at the same time it’s nice to still be able to feel anything. It seems to bring back even more feeling in his legs.   
“Now come on. Follow me. Don’t even t)(ink about zapping me eit)(er.” She walks with the click of her heals and Sollux does his best to follow her quickly. His knees feel like they could crash down to his ankles at any moment, but he wills himself to continue. Food food food food food.  
After a while of walking Sollux collapses to his knees and he pants. The Condesce doesn’t wait for him though. If he wanted anything he’d have to get the fuck up.  
It’s cruel. But this is her way of testing the limits. Before she used Psiioniic and never moved him from the control room. She never let him leave and never fed him. Never let him walk around. So now she’s going to do nearly the opposite. If it makes him last longer than the Psiioniic did than she’d do what she had to even if it meant baby-ing him for a while. Of course the Psiioniic died from the vast glub all those sweeps ago, but he was running out of steam in the end anyhow. So maybe taking care of the little shit would help her chances of keeping him longer. not only that but maybe she could turn him... into the ultimate weapon.  
Sollux finally gets to his feet again and holds onto the wall and follows her tyrant ass all the way to a little dining area. Well... it wasn’t little really. Compared to the entire SHIP of course, but this place was gigantic! Stupid bitch.... living like this when all of her subjects were suffering in extreme poverty and stupid high bloods fucking everything up for EVERYONE......  
“)(ere we are. )(ey you, get t)(e kid some glubbin’ food.” She points a sharp pink fingernailed finger to a red robot with spikes all over him. The robot turns and walks into what seems to be a kitchen and the door closes behind it slowly.  
It seems strange that even the queen has a fucking kitchen. Theeeen again she’s fucking betty crocker and she bakes stuff so of course she’d have a kitchen. Sollux just can’t picture the queen of the god damn planet cooking or baking regardless of her reputation. He figures she just snaps and whatever she wants appears in her ugly hands.  
“Sit )(ere.” The Condesce kicks the leg of a chair a little bit out for him to sit. Ah sitting. Instead of hanging. That’s amazing. He’d taken such things like sitting for granted.... Sollux goes over and plops down on the chair with a relieved sigh. He closes his eyes and leans his head forward on the soft white table cloth. It almost felt like a blanket had been mistakenly placed on the table.  
“So.” Condy says. Sollux opens his eyes a little but doesn’t lift his head.  
“2o?”  
“So you resent me.”  
“Of cour2e ii do.... ii hate you for what you diid. For the trouble you’ve cau2ed u2 and for our entiire 2peciie2 over all the2e 2weep2. What a 2tupiid que2tiion...”  
“T)(at’s not fair at all.”  
“Faiir.... do you 2eriiou2ly plan on telliing me what’2.... FAIIR??”  
“Du)(.”  
“Tch. 2houlda known. 2omeone liike you.... would never under2tand what we go through...”  
“)(m. O)( yea)(. )(ow do you feel about your friends being dead?”  
Sollux’s stomach curls up in a knot. He’s the last of his friends... And it’s his own fault. He killed them... He killed them...  
The robot comes out of the kitchen with a plate and a lid cover. It comes to Sollux and sets it in front of him, lifting the lid. Sollux was expecting a troll head, but it’s actually a nice little meal. He doesn’t hear anything or see anything other than that fucking plate of food. So he digs in with his hands, not caring about any utensils, although he’s sure none were brought to him anyway. He stuffs his face and chews and chokes a couple times, but gets over it quickly and continues to eat.  
Condy watches him, leaning her head on her hand. It’s strange to watch. She wonders if she had fed Psiioniic would he look as adorable... Even with this boy who is genetically the same as him... she misses her psiioniic. The hum of his powers vibrating through the ship always made her feel confident and powerful. She loved coming on her cold ship to the purr of electricity shooting up her feet to her horns and down to her fingers. When she’d go to talk to him he’d completely ignore her which she just couldn’t understand. He should have felt lucky to be on her ship. To be the one to power it. He was a legend! And yet he was so unhappy. Well maybe the death of his friend, the slavery of another and the banishment of the third were a factor but REALLY! So ungrateful.   
But now she’s got to basically raise this little shit to adulthood and raise him exactly the way she wants. He’ll be a little harder to mold than some wrigglers... She’ll have to work harder with this one than she did with Psiioniic. With him she just put him away and visited him sometimes. But now with this kid... aaaaah. She doesn’t want to but if it’s what keeps him alive longer and gives her ship the same rate or MORE for power...... then if she must she will.  
“I guess it’s good )(u)(?” Sollux has finished his plate and is panting from going so fast. He looks over at her and glares a little.  
“Don’t give me t)(at look.”  
“Where are we?... Where are we flyiing riight now....”  
“Oh. Whale, we’re going to different places to c)(eck up on everyone of course!~” She smiles widely at Sollux and Sol is sure he won’t be allowed outside when they get there, to wherever it really is.... This is going to be his life now... While his friends are dead he got to eat and walk around... Tears slowly swell up in his eyes again. Even though he doesn’t want to cry in front of this stupid piece of shit woman, he can’t stop the burn in his eyes from overflowing.  
“Awwww now what’s wrong?”  
Sollux ignores her of course and just puts his arm up to his eyes to at least hide them a little bit... Condy watches a little bit and thinks hard. How could she make this brat happy? Or at least content enough that he’d stop this crying shit.  
“Well t)(en w)(at can I do t)(at’ll make you )(appy?”  
“Kiill me...” Hm. She should have known.  
“Ju2t.... fuckiing kiill me...”  
“Is your life really not wort)( t)(at muc)( to you just because your little group is gone?”  
“My friiend2.... ii kiilled them. ii kiilled the only per2on ii was really red toward2... ii kiilled my would be fuckiing iidiiot kii22me22ii2, ii kiilled all of them!...ii know iit miight not 2eem liike much too you 2iince you kiill your people ALL THE TIIME, but too me....... too me they were all.... ii ever wanted. And now that they’re gone, ii really 2ee what ii was takiing advantage of... ii wa2 2o lucky to have those kiind2 of people care about me and be my friiend and care about my well-beiing.... and because ii couldn’t control my 2tupiid power2..... ii murdered them all.....” The tears start to roll down in a steady stream now and he sobs, using both hands to cover his eyes and grip his hair in anguish. Condy sees this all the time and loves it. She fucking LOVES to see that pain in their eyes and to hear their choking sobs of despair. Yet to see this one boy shed such tears because of what he’d done.... She couldn’t tell if this was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen or if it was uncomfortable pitying she felt. Not in a quadrant way just.... pitying the kid. Either way she felt which ever feeling it was right in the center of her chest.  
This was going to be a looong long eternity if things kept up like this.  
()  
“My friiend2.... ii kiilled them. ii kiilled the only per2on ii was really red toward2... ii kiilled my would be fuckiing iidiiot kii22me22ii2, ii kiilled all of them!...ii know iit miight not 2eem liike much too you 2iince you kiill your people ALL THE TIIME, but too me....... too me they were all.... ii ever wanted. And now that they’re gone, ii really 2ee what ii was takiing advantage of... ii wa2 2o lucky to have those kiind2 of people care about me and be my friiend and care about my well-beiing.... and because ii couldn’t control my 2tupiid power2..... ii murdered them all.....” The tears start to roll down in a steady stream now and he sobs, using both hands to cover his eyes and grip his hair in anguish. Condy sees this all the time and loves it. She fucking LOVES to see that pain in their eyes and to hear their choking sobs of despair. Yet to see this one boy shed such tears because of what he’d done.... She couldn’t tell if this was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen or if it was uncomfortable pitying she felt. Not in a quadrant way just.... pitying the kid. Either way she felt which ever feeling it was right in the center of her chest.  
This was going to be a looong long eternity if things kept up like this.


	12. Chapter 12

LAST TIME  
()  
“My friiend2.... ii kiilled them. ii kiilled the only per2on ii was really red toward2... ii kiilled my would be fuckiing iidiiot kii22me22ii2, ii kiilled all of them!...ii know iit miight not 2eem liike much too you 2iince you kiill your people ALL THE TIIME, but too me....... too me they were all.... ii ever wanted. And now that they’re gone, ii really 2ee what ii was takiing advantage of... ii wa2 2o lucky to have those kiind2 of people care about me and be my friiend and care about my well-beiing.... and because ii couldn’t control my 2tupiid power2..... ii murdered them all.....” The tears start to roll down in a steady stream now and he sobs, using both hands to cover his eyes and grip his hair in anguish. Condy sees this all the time and loves it. She fucking LOVES to see that pain in their eyes and to hear their choking sobs of despair. Yet to see this one boy shed such tears because of what he’d done.... She couldn’t tell if this was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen or if it was uncomfortable pitying she felt. Not in a quadrant way just.... pitying the kid. Either way she felt which ever feeling it was right in the center of her chest.  
This was going to be a looong long eternity if things kept up like this.  
()  
One sweep passes for Gamzee. Thing have been going smoothly for him and Atori and their little team of loyal soldiers.  
“Well Gamzee. Today’s the day one sweep ago that you became our Highblood.”  
“ThAt sO? wElL I GuEsS I’M DoInG OkAy tHeN, rIgHt?”  
“Heh. It doesn’t mean that. But no one has tried to kill you yet so that’s a plus for sure. I dunno about everyone else, but I’m proud of you. You got through that sopor training pretty alright and now you’re ruling with an iron fist but you’re also nothing like Kurloz in the asshole department. It’s pretty nice. It’s peaceful.”  
“iT WoN’T Be fOr lOnG YoU KnOw....”  
Atori looks down at Gamzee, (although, less down than he did a sweep ago) and nods a little.  
“Yeah. But let’s just appreciate the quiet we have right now. Wanna get a faygo man?”  
“HuH. SuRe MaN.” Gamzee smiles up at Atori and walks to the store that they always go to to get their faygo. The Blue blood store owner is still there and is now able to freely smile and hang out with Gamzee.  
“Hey guys! The usual?”  
“i’lL AcTuAlLy tAkE An oRaNgE OnE ToDaY.”   
“Oooh switchin’ ‘er up huh? Sure thing. Atori?”  
“A red one will be good for me actually.”  
“Sure thing guys!” The owner reaches down to his little stash cooler just for Gamzee and Atori and grabs out an orange and a red Faygo.  
“Heeere ya go.”  
“ThAnKs BrO.” Gamzee takes it and sighs happily.  
“HoW’s It GoInG mAn?”  
“Oh me? I’m alright! Business around here is fantastic now! The others are actually PAYING me! I’m so excited! I’ll be able to get more stuff in here and it can be like a little lounge instead of just a store!”  
“BiG DrEaMs hUh? It’s gOoD To hAvE ThOsE. i’m sUrE It’lL Be aMaZiNg. We’lL CoMe aLl tHe tImE JuSt lIkE We nOrMaLlY Do.”  
The blue blood’s eyes go wide and then beams a huge smile!  
“I would LOVE that! How’s it going with you two anyway?”  
“Oh it’s pretty good. Today is one year that Gam’s been here as our highblood. He’s being a butt and not getting motherfuckin’ excited, but that’s why I’m here, to be excited for both of us. Right Gamzee? Eh? Eh?” A few elbows to Gamzee’s shoulder gets the younger boy to laugh and push back.  
“HeH. I gUeSs So.”   
A loud screeching scream comes from outside and the three look at each other. Gamzee and Atori rush out and look around. To the left they see Reznia completely losing her shit.  
She’s swinging her arms around, clawing at anyone who gets close to her.  
“WhAt ThE fUcK?”  
“Ah Dammit, not again.”  
“AgAiN?”  
“Yeah. Since you’ve been here she’s been careful about this, but I guess she just can’t control herself today.”  
“wHaT ThE HeLl iS GoInG On mAn?”   
“Sometimes she does this. She just snaps and totally loses her mind. We don’t even know why yet, but she used to go on murder rampages, going into the blue bloods hives and doin’ away with them. But enough of that, we gotta fuckin’ stop her.”  
“YeAh!” The two run over to her and Gamzee walks up further.  
“HeY! ReZ, CaLm DoWn! JuSt ReLaX—“ She swipes at him so fast he doesn’t even see it until he feels the sting of blood seeping through four cuts on his face. Atori jumps on Reznia and gets her in a head lock with her arms behind her back. But she rolls over and bounds to her feet, swinging Atori into the dirt. Other indigo bloods watch, not knowing if they should help or stay out of the way. It’s more fun like this, buuut... They did sorta hurt their highblood and all. Maybe they should get in there.   
Gamzee quickly grabs her hand and yanks her down and PUNCHES her in the fucking face, almost ripping her arm out of her socket. Yet she’s almost unfazed as she swings around and head-butts Gamzee. But he too comes out if and kicks up in her stomach. He slams his fist on the back of Reznia’s neck and kicks forward at her foot, knocking her forward and then sits on her with a tight blood stopping grip  
“CaLm ThE fUcK dOwN! WhAt ThE hElL iS tHe PrObLeM?!”  
“WHERE THE FUCK IS HE YOU FUCKERS?!?!?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIEEE!!! WHERE IS HEEEE!!! WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO WITH HIM YOU COCK SUCKERS?!?!?!? I’LL FUCKING KILL YOOOOOOOUU!!!”  
“WhO???”  
“YOU FUCKING KNOW WHO!!!! TIEONO!!!”  
“Tieono?” Atori rolls over and gets up quickly to get down in front of Reznia.  
“Ain’t he at home?”  
“IF HE WERE AT HOME YOU TWIT I WOULDN’T BE LOOKING FOR HIM!!! SOMEONE FUCKING TOOK HIM I SAW THEM!!! I SAW THEM!!!! I FUCKING SAW THEM! IT WAS ONE OF US YOU SHIT STAINS AND I KNOW IT WAS YOU WHO TOLD THEM TO FUCKING TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!!!! I’LL KILL YOU!!!!”  
“Someone took Tieono?” Atori looks up at Gamzee who looks equally as confused.  
“LiStEn, ReZnIa, CaLm DoWn And we’ll all go look for him together okay? Swear!”  
“YEAH BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHERE THE FUCK HE IS OF COURSE YOU DO!”  
“Reznia really calm down. You know he can take care of himself. If he was taken we’ll fucking cull whoever it was. Come on now, stop fidgeting and stand up normally.”  
“You.... didn’t take him?”  
“No that’s what we’re saying!” Reznia looks at Atori and then down at the ground, which of course is the only other thing in front of her face. She flops her face down in the dirt and relaxes.  
“Hurry up and get off of me so we can find him.....”  
“YoU gOt It.” Gamzee lets her go and gets off then helps her up and brushes her off a little, which of course she brushes HIM off and walks.  
“Alright Reznia where did you see this shit happen?”  
“Over here.” The taller girl rushes over to a little alley way between two taller buildings and points.   
“TeLl Us ExAcTlY wHaT yOu Saw.”  
“Me and Tieono were walking down this way so we could get some ice cream and he suddenly stopped and I didn’t notice. When I looked back, I saw someone’s hands grabbing him in this alleyway. When I went back here I saw a fucking black.... a black hole looking thing closing up.”  
Gamzee’s eyes go wide. Atori looks down at Gamzee.  
“What is it Gam?”  
“A BlAcK HoLe lOoKiNg tHiNg...... nO WaY..... tHaT’S HoW I GoT HeRe. ThRoUgH A BlAcK HoLe pOrTaL ThInG!”  
“so It WAS YOU.”  
“No nO No!!... I JuSt dOn’t uNdErStAnD. eVeRyOnE DiEd... ThE GiRl... WhO MaDe tHeSe pOrTaLs aRe dEaD ToO! tHeRe’s nO WaY. iT CoUlDn’t bE HeR. wHaT ThE HeLl....”Atori watches Gamzee closely. He’s so pissed. Someone took Tieono and has reawakened sad memories within his highblood leader! Who the fuck did this...  
“Well?! What are we gonna fucking do?!” Reznia flings her hands up in a rage and she’s honestly doing her very best not to choke a motherfucker.  
“GiMmIe A fUcKiNg SeCoNd!....” Gamzee tries hard to remember something or think of something that can help. He looks around more and more, then a thought strikes him.  
“RiGhT!” He rushes off before any objections can be made.   
“Reznia stay here. And please don’t flip out.”  
“I won’t if yOU HURRY THE FUCK UP.”  
“Sigh.” Atori runs after Gamzee quickly.  
Gamzee runs back to the throne tent and skids in the dirt, turns, and pushes aside the curtains. He rushes over to behind the tall throne and there is a box. Gam opens the box up and there lie the white wands that Handmaid left for him in front of the portal he came here with.... He grabs them up and Atori comes in behind him.  
“Gamzee what the hell?!”  
“ThEsE..... mIGhT hElP.”  
“What the fuck are........ You.... You have those things? The Handmaids things?”  
“YoU kNoW wHo ShE iS?” Gamzee seems surprised by this. But of course ALL of the adults know who she is.  
“Of course... Are those really hers?”  
“Yeah.... I guess it’s my turn then. CoMe On!” Without a second word he runs past Atori who groans and chases after him again.   
The two return to Reznia who is strangling a guy for bothering her.  
“Down girl!” She looks over with her wide eyes and THROWS the poor guy right over her head backwards.  
“What the fuck did you get that could POSSIBLY help!!??!”  
“JuSt StAnD bAcK...” Gam steps up to the alley and holds up one of the wands....  
“CoMe On... HeLp Me OuT hErE....” He gulps and then points the wand in front of him. Very slowly a tiny black dot reappears. Reznia’s eyes go even wider in shock and she steps back.  
“Oh fuck man... I must be trippin’ balls or some shit, this is not possible!”  
Atori can’t move. This kid. This FUCKING KID.... can use those wands....  
The black hole closes quicker than it opened and Gamzee flicks the wand again  
“No MaN.... cOmE oN....” He grips the wand tighter and closes his eyes. He doesn’t have any natural magic abilities. Because magic isn’t fucking real. But for now we’ll call it magic. Because seriously what the fuck.  
The black hole starts to widen and lengthen as Gamzee concentrates....  
“AtOrI... gO rEaCh In ThErE!”  
“Right....” Atori goes over to it and picks up a stick. He wasn’t about to risk his hand or arm. He steps up and pokes the stick through. It looks like the stick is disappearing into water. Black water...  
“Hey! Whoever you are in there, give back Tieono!”  
“No!~”  
Everyone’s eyes almost pop out of their head. SOMEONE RESPONDED THROUGH THE PORTAL ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW.  
“Who are you!?”  
“None of your business!~”  
“NePeTa?...”  
“Woopsies!! Hehe!” Tieono is shoved through the portal and he flops on the ground brushing up dust.  
“NePeTa!!!” Gamzee loses focus and runs to the portal, thus making it close.  
“NO!! FUCK! NEPETA WAIT!!! Go-GoD dAmMiT!!!” He starts to violently flick and fling the wands around trying to open up that portal again, but Atori grabs both of his hands and has to hold him back.  
“Gamzee calm down and think!”  
“Th.... DiD yOu FuCkInG hEaR?!.....”  
“The girls voice? Yeah I did....”  
“Gamzee!~” Tieono stands up and is quickly picked up by Reznia.  
“Reznia too!~ Hehe. Hey Gamzee did you know that girl?”  
“TieONO PAY ATTENTION TO ME WHAT THE FUCK!!” REznia grabs his little face in her big hand and makes him look at her.  
“Aw.... Sorry Reznia. Did I scare you? It sorta scared me too. But I’m okay see?” Tieono’s tiny fire painted face smiles widely and he hugs her.  
“”  
“”  
“But Gamzee! Did you? Know her I mean?”  
“I...... Y.... I d...dOn’T....uNdeR....sTaNd....”  
Atori shakes Gamzee a little and takes those fucking wands away from before he pokes someone’s eye out or worse.  
“Hey. Focus. Come on man.”  
“ThAt.... WaS mY.... oNe Of My FrIeNdS.... NePeTa! ShE’s..... SuPpOsEd To Be.... DeAd!...” His eyes are wide and he’s almost looking past Atori into his own thoughts. Atori looks at him with wide eyes. The friends that Gamzee had been so so so upset about being dead because of him... He’d heard the voice of one. There’s no way. He looks up at Tieono in Reznia’s protective arm as he pap’s her face.  
“Hey Tieono you seem to have seen her. Tell me what happened while you were gone.”  
“Oh! Yeah! Well.... let’s see... Rezy and me were gonna get some ice cream and then I heard someone whisper to me. I looked over and some girl was standing there. She had on our color clothing so I went to her and she grabbed me up and pulled me through a black portal thing, like the one I just came out of! She set me on my feet and smiled super big at me and she was like a cat. Her clothes were blue but her eyes were a green color I’ve never seen before on any troll ever! Her horns were like cat ears and she was super happy for some reason. We were in front of the throne tent and she asked me if I knew where YOU were Gamzee!”  
Gamzee slowly looks over to him, eyes almost terrified  
“I told her I didn’t understand. You were always in your tent and if you weren’t there you were probably out buying faygo or you were in the tent with the stage in it! There were a lot of people there looking pretty antsy.”  
“A lOt... Of ThEm?”  
“Yeah! And they all had different eye color. Only three of them had blood colors that I’ve ever seen. And one lady looked... almost exactly like her Majesty the Condescension! But she was SUPER nice and gave me a hug.”  
“Ho...HoLy FuCk...... FeFeRi... AnD YoU MuSt hAvE SeEn...... tErEzI, VrIsKa aNd eQuIuS... oH My fUcKiN’ gOd.... tHeRe’s nO WaY...”  
“How old were they?”  
“????”  
“How old? Uhmmmm. They looked like adults to me.”  
“AdUlTs???.... ThEy... H...Ha! ThEy mAdE It.... tHeY’Re nOt dEaD!....”  
“I guess so! They asked if you’d seen ...... oh gosh...... Sollux??”  
“SoLlUx???”  
“Yeah! They said that ‘the sea bitch’ had him and you had a plan to do something about it.”  
“ArE.... yOu KiDdInG mE??... AtOrI, iS tHiS fUcKiNg ReAl?”  
“Yeah... this is reality. I guess your friends are okay. Other than that Sollux one...”  
“SoLlUx... ThAt’s wHaT MuSt hAvE BeEn hApPeNiNg. I ReMeMbEr sEeIn’ HiS PsIoNiCs gOiN’ cRaZy iN ThE FoReSt wHeN I WaS FiGhTiNg gRaNd hIgH FuCkEr... ShE ToOk hIm tHeN... bUt hOw dId tHe oThErS SuRvIvE? hOw... AnD....”  
“Whoa whoa. Okay I think we need to go sit down somewhere or something. This is a lot of shit to take in.”  
“N-No i jUsT... iT’S BeEn a sWeEp... I ThOuGhT It wAs mY FaUlT ThEy wErE AlL FuCkInG DeAd... BuT ThEy’rE AlIvE AnD ThEy eVeN StAy aLiVe eNoUgH To bEcOmE AdUlTs.... aNd tHaT MeAnS I Do tOo. AnD ThAt..... ThEy cOmE HeRe. In tHe fUtUrE I’Ll gEt tO SeE ThEm......”  
Atori smiles a little.  
“Looks like you have something to look forward to huh Gamzee?”  
“YoU’Re...... gOd dAmN RiGhT I Do.”  
“Tieono you piece of shit you scared the fuck out of me!”  
“It’s okay Reznia, I’m okay see? I’m sorry I scared you.” Tieono smiles sweetly at Reznia then hugs her tightly around her neck and she returns the tight hug.  
“But I think... we should all go talk about what I saw! It looked really important!”  
“Right. Gam, Reznia, Tieono, let’s get back to Gamzee’s tent and talk about this.”  
“Don’t you ever let go of my hand ever again do you fucking hear me you god damn punk ass little fucker?”  
“I hear you!~” Tieono hugs her tightly and Reznia leads the way.   
Gamzee looks after them and then looks up at Atori.  
“ARe ThEy.....”  
“Moirails. Naturally. Even as a tiny wriggler, almost a fucking grub, he was able to calm her down. She’d stumbled upon him walking the streets. His lusus was killed by an older troll so he was lost without his lusus of course. Reznia was on one of her rampages, killing everyone in her way. She almost killed Tieono too. But from what Tieono tells me is that she stopped in mid swing and just stared at him. He was rather terrified, but he reached out to her anyway and held her finger. Reznia fell to her knees and just hugged Tieono tightly. Ever since then they’ve been almost inseparable. That’s why I called on her as well to be a training partner. I never could have gotten Tieono in if Reznia didn’t follow.”  
“WoW... tHaT'S GrEaT ThOuGh. He's pReTtY FuCkInG YoUnG ThOuGh. I GuEsS BeInG ThAt eNd oF ThE MoIrAiLlEgEnCe tAkEs a lOt oF PaTiEnCe aNd tOlErAnCe...”  
Gamzee looks down and frowns a tiny bit.... before remembering that sweet angry face of his own moirail.  
“KaRkAt.....” He smiles really big and makes a fist.  
“ThEy'rE AlIvE MaN. mY FuCkInG BuDdIeS MaDe iT OuT Of tHeRe aLiVe...”   
“Yeah.” Atori smacks Gamzee on the back in congrats and walks with him.  
Once they all get to the tent, Tieono jumps down from Reznia’s grip and runs to a certain spot behind a building .  
“Alright Tieono, now that you’re safely in Reznia’s icey vision, tell us EVERYTHING that happened. Everything that you noticed. Don’t leave a SINGLE THING out.”  
“Yes sir! Okay. I was grabbed after being whispered to. It was dark in the portal, but only for a second. when I got to the other side with this cat lady, she set me down. It looked like we were in town right outside the tent right here!” Teiono points to his feet and he waves his arms around seeming to remind himself of where everyone was standing.  
“Right here was the cat girl, and over there right in front of the tent, there was the Condesce lady peeking inside the tent. Next to her right here on her right was another sea-dweller! He was super scary looking and he looked angry... He had a purple hair part too.... weirdo. Anyway, on the OTHER side of the entrance was a guy with big wide horns and a mohawk! Next to him was a girl with red sunglasses and next to HER was some girl with the weirdest eye ever. And she had a pirate hat on??? They were arguing about something, like ‘shut up stupid’ ‘no you’ and stuff like that. Uhhmm... RIGHT HERE was this HUGE strong looking blue blood! He had a broken horn and he looked like he meant business! He looked so cool!~ Oh oh, and right here was a girl with super cool swirly horns. Oh man she looked totally awesome. But even then she had this BIG smile on her face. Like she was REALLY excited! And next to the cat lady here was this guy was really stubby horns. I almost laughed at him but he looked mad. He told the cat lady to stop messing around with ‘this punk’ and she just waved at him like ‘shut up bro’ and I was really lost! But the cat lady asked ‘hey have you seen Gamzee around here?’ and I was like ‘well no, he’s usually either in his tent there or buying faygo over in that shop that way, orrrr he’s training with Atori at the stage tent!’ So the pink Condesce lady came over and swooped me up and hugged me super tight saying how adorable I was. She had really bright pink eyes, so.... I don’t get that. There’s usually only one pink troll and it’s the Condesce until she get a new heir who takes over when she dies or if she kills her. The stubby horned guy had RED EYES! And not like the swirly horned lady, I mean like it doesn’t exist on the spectrum! It was amazing to see though. Everyone’s eyes were bright... with their blood color just like how you adults get your bright eyes when you’re old! The pink lady asked if I saw Sollux too and I didn’t know who that was. I was like ‘Sorry lady I don’t know who that is!’ and she frowned and set me down and folded her arms. She looked sad and I kept telling her I was sorry! I didn’t mean to make her sad..... but she just patted my head and said it was okay. The cat lady suddenly picked me up and ran away super fast with everyone else. I didn’t know what was happening so I closed my eyes because I was really scared.... I opened my eyes a tiny bit and saw one of our caste running reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaallllyyyyy slowly. Like everything was going in slow motion even though we were going normal speed. Then we got to a different building and everything kept whispering about ‘what the actual fuck is going on here’. The purple fish guy bent down in front of me and pointed at me and said ‘Listen kid. You tell Gamzee to get his ass over here or I’ll fucking cull you.’ So that was freaky. But the swirly horned lady came up and pushed on his face and then held up her hand and made a black thing appear! I heard you guys calling for me and Atori saying ‘hey give him back’. The cat lady said ‘No!~’ and then I heard you Gamzee say ‘Nepeta?’ and she was all ‘woopsie!’ and then pushed me through the portal and here I am.”  
It’s silent for a long time. Atori wants to hear what Gamzee says, so he watches him carefully from the corner of his eye..  
Reznia is just sitting there like “What the ACTUAL god damn fuck.”  
Gamzee sits there with his hands in fists intertwined and eyes wide.  
“HoLy FuCk.... EvErYoNe..... WoW.... I cAn’T bElIeVe ThIs........ dId tHe gUy wItH BiG WiDe hOrNs..... NoT SaY AnYtHiNg?”  
“Huh? Hmmm.... No not that I heard. But he looked excited!” Teiono smiles and nods happily and wiggles in Reznia’s lap.  
“Oh how exciting! I wonder what’s going on with those guys!~ Will we see them again Gamzee?”  
Atori and Reznia look back at Gamzee who looks down at his hands..... then smiles widely.  
“YeAh. We WiLl. It’lL bE a WhIlE, bUt..... We’Ll SeE tHeM aGaIn.”   
“Yay!~ I didn’t know you knew so many adults Gamzee!”  
“Whaaat? He’s got us for friends too Tieono. We’re ALL adults. Well........... not you, but the rest of us are.”  
“Awwww.... Can I be your friend when I’m an adult too Gamzee?”  
“WeLl dUh! I CaN'T WaIt tO SeE WhAt yOu'rE LiKe wHeN YoU'Re oLdEr.”  
“I’m gonna be even stronger than you!”  
“That a challenge squirt?” Atori smiles and folds his arms. Tieono’s eyes go big and he shakes his head quickly and holds his hands up in retreat! Surrender!!!  
“No no no!! I would never want to be someone that hurts Gamzee! No uh!”  
Reznia just snuggles Tieono close and squints at Atori.  
“Don’t scare him you fuckin pecker head....”  
Gamzee watches all of them and he hopes that..... one day he can come to talk to them about the past too and be included like this. He really likes watching moirails at work...... Such age differences are wonderful and he admires—  
“The fuck are you lookin’ at weirdo?” Reznia squints at Gamzee and only hugs Tieono closer to her who giggles and pushes on her face a little.  
“No-NoThIn’!...... I GuEsS I ReAlLy gOtTa sTaRt wOrKiNg hArD. mY MoThErFuCkIn' FrIeNdS... tHeY FuCkIn nEeD Me. AnD I AiN’t gOnNa bE A FuCkInG MoRoN ThIs tImE AnD LeT EvErYoNe dOwN. i’M GoNnA Be tHe uSeFuL OnE ThIs tImE ArOuNd eVeN If iT KiLlS Me.”  
“Well don’t fucking say that you dummy.” Atori smacks Gamzee’s shoulder a little bit and shakes his head. But Gam just starts thinking about what he’s gonna need to do. What were the others running from? Hiding from? And why wasn’t Gamzee there that fucking second to see his god damn friends? How did they know where he was? How did they get here? How do they know to open portals? Aradia? Is that possible for her? Ah well if it’s in the future who knows what could have happened in that time.  
Karkat was there, grumpy as ever so he heard. And....  
And god damn Tavros was there. He wishes he could have seen him... But he guesses he’ll have to wait to see them all for a long time. Adults.... They’re all adults. Why did it take so long? Maybe he’s the one being slow? Fuckin’ hell. There’s a lot he has to plan.... and that’s gonna suck. But he knows with everyone’s help he’ll be able to get it all done...  
“Gamzee?”  
“HuH? CaN'T A BrOtHeR GeT HiS ThInK On fOr a dAmN SeCoNd?” Atori lifts his hands in surrender, then leans his elbows on his knees and watches Gamzee a little. It’s not often he gets to see their derpy highblood in such thought. Unless he’s with that fucking skull anyway.  
“We’ll leave you alone then Gam. Rez, grab the squirt, we’re outta here. Holler if you need me okay?”  
“SuRe BrO.” Gamzee nods at the three then goes back to staring at the ground and his hands clenched together in fists. He hardly hears them leaving and he quickly looks up to the tiny skull hanging on the wall. He’s gotta tell him!  
The juggalo boy stands up and goes over to the wall and grabs it up, then heads to the throne room.  
“HeY MoThErFuCkEr dId yOu hEaR ThAt sHiT? mY FrIeNdS ArE FuCkInG AlIvE! tHeY'Re aLiVe bRo! AnD ThEy'rE LoOkIn' FoR Me iN ThE FuTuRe! LiTtLe kId oUt tHeRe sAiD ThAt hE SaW EvErYoNe aS AdUlTs! AnD ThEy wErE LoOkIn'..... fOr mE! aFtEr aLl tHaT ShIt i pUt tHeM ThRoUgH ThEy'rE LoOkInG FoR Me! I MeAn mAyBe tHeY'Re cOmInG To fUcKiN' kIlL Me, BuT HoNeStLy... I'D LeT ThEm iF ThAt's wHaT ThEy wAnTeD. bUt i wOuLdN'T LeT ThEm kIlL Me bEfOrE I GeT My sHiT DoNe.... gOt aNyThInG To sAy bRo?”  
But of course nothing from the tiny head. Gamzee knew that he wasn’t going to get an answer, but he still loved talking. Maybe that’s why he talked so much to the skull. It couldn’t talk back to him. Tell him he was a fucking idiot. It couldn’t tell him he was wrong. And it allowed Gamzee to get whatever it is off his chest without a real reaction from someone else. He feels better talking to this skull than he ever has with a LIVE troll. Interesting. But he’ll take it.  
“I GoTtA Do sOmEtHiNg. I CaN'T JuSt fUcKiNg sIt hErE AnD Do nOtHiNg. YoU KnOw? YoU WeRe a fUcKiNg wRiGgLeR WhEn yOu tOoK ThE SeAt.... kLoShE ToLd mE YoU WeReN'T HiGhBlOoD FoR LoNg. AnD ThAt sUcKs. YoU CoUlDa sAvEd a lOt oF PeOpLe a fUcK ToN Of pRoBlEmS. bUt tHaT'S OkAy. ThE MeSsIaH'S WeRe cAlLiN' yOu uP AnD It wAs yOuR TiMe tO Go. It wOn't bE My tImE To gO FoR A LoNg tImE. i'm gOnNa mAkE SuRe oF It nO MaTtEr wHaT I Do. I HoPe iF YoU CaN HeAr mE ThAt yOu'lL HeLp mE In aNy sMaLl fUcKiN' wAy tHaT YoU CaN.... I'Ll bE WaItIn' GoT It?” The silence only makes Gamzee smile a little extra. He plays a small childish voice in his own head of the child saying “you got it motherfucker!”   
It’s small, but it makes Gamzee happy. He reaches in his hoody pocket and pulls out the glowing white wands... A small glance to the tiny skull makes him think. Maybe he could use the wands to do something with the skull. To maybe sneak a peek into the past and.... Yeah.... Yeah! YEAH!! That’s a great idea!!  
Gamzee stands up with the skull and the wand and stares at the two.... Oh man. He feels a tiny bit bad that he’s using Kloshe’s precious highblood’s fucking dead skull as the test experiment for the wands, but he wants this and god dammit he’s gonna get what he wants. The juggalo troll sets the skull on the ground and points the wand.  
“AlRiGhT YoU FuNkY StIcKs sHoW Me... ThE KiD! i wAnNa sEe hIm gOd dAmMiT! hE DoN'T HaVe tO SeE Me oR AnYtHiNg oR TaLk tO Me, I JuSt wAnNa gEt a lOoK! sEe wHo hE WaS! gEt hIs nAmE! sOmEtHiNg!”  
He flicks one wand at the space above the skulls head and a black portal starts to open up. It looks like glass almost. But it holds and Gamzee relaxes a tiny bit... slowly walking forward. He peeks inside and sees the curved moehawk horns poking out of a small boys head. He’s wearing a purple cape and some regular Alternian wear. A shirt with his sign and black pants with of course, purple dots all over it. Gamzee is able to move this little mirror around to see whatever angle he wants. He moves the angle so he’s staring right into the happy black ALIVE eyes of the tiny highblood....  
“It’s such a nice day!” The light boy says. He doesn’t seem to see Gamzee at all.  
“I wonder if I’ll be able to have fun again today!~” His voice is smooth and it’s as childlike as Gamzee had imagined. The kid almost sounded like a girl. But he was adorable enough he could pass for one if he tried hard enough.  
“Xhione!” The voice is familiar, but the little boy turns around and then waves.  
“Kloshe!” So his name was Xhione! That was interesting. Sheeeee-ohnnn... it was nice though. It fit his personality if one were to ask Gamzee.  
Xhione jumped up and hugged the much younger Kloshe around the waist.  
“Hey there kiddo. Are you sure you need to practice? I don’t see why...”  
“Well because I’m the highblood! NOT XHIONE I KEEP TELLING YOU! And as the highblood I have to train and work hard every day so I can be strong so that everyone will continue to respect me and follow me! I’m young but I’m not dumb! A weak highblood is a worthless one.” Xhione says the last sentence with a sweet smile, but a gurgling venom in his tone. Kloshe seemsed unused to the acid in the tiny boy and looks a bit taken aback. but he only takes Xhione’s hand and nods.  
“Yes sir.”  
“Oh yeah. Don’t you see that black hole right there?”  
“Where?”  
The glass shatters all around Gamzee as his window portal breaks into a billion pieces and closes.  
“FuCk!....” He stands there for a while and looks at his feet while the broken glass disintegrates into nothing.  
“HiS NaMe.... i lEaRnEd iT FiNaLlY. dId i cHeAt? WoUlDn't a fUtUrE Me cOmE To sToP Me iF It wAs bAd?.... I GuEsS I WaSn't gOnNa lEaRn aNy oThEr wAy. FuCk tHeY AlMoSt sAw mE.... HeHeHeHeHe..... HeHeHeHeHeHeHe! ThIs iS SoMe fUcKeD Up sHiT Yo. SoMe fUcKeD Up gOd dAmN ShIt! I CaN FuCkInG RiP HoLeS In sPaCe aNd tImE.... SoMeOnE LiKe mE ShOuLdN'T HaVe tHeSe. BuT EvEn sO ThE HaNdMaId lEfT ThEm fOr mE. sHe cOuLdN'T HaVe sEeN So fAr iNtO ThE FuTuRe cOuLd sHe? Am i uNdErEsTiMaTiNg hEr aBiLiTiEs?... hEh. WeLl xHiOnE YoU LiTtLe sHiT. i kNoW YoUr nAmE NoW. yOu mAd tHaT I ChEaTeD? sOrRy... I AiN'T ReAlLy a pAtIeNt kInDa fUcKeR.”  
Gamzee looks down at the skull and smiles widely.  
“XhIoNe. I tHiNk It FiTs YoU.” He walks over and picks the tiny skull up and holds it in the air.  
“WiSh i cOuLdA KnOwN A MoThErFuCkEr bEfOrE He uP AnD GoT HiS HeAd sQuIsHeD OfF. sOrRy aBoUt tHaT HoMiE. mAyBe oNe dAy iN SoMe fUcKeD Up tImElInE We'lL MeEt HuH?”  
()  
TO BE CONTINUED


	13. Chapter 13

LAST TIME

()

“HiS NaMe.... i lEaRnEd iT FiNaLlY. dId i cHeAt? WoUlDn't a fUtUrE Me cOmE To sToP Me iF It wAs bAd?.... I GuEsS I WaSn't gOnNa lEaRn aNy oThEr wAy. FuCk tHeY AlMoSt sAw mE.... HeHeHeHeHe..... HeHeHeHeHeHeHe! ThIs iS SoMe fUcKeD Up sHiT Yo. SoMe fUcKeD Up gOd dAmN ShIt! I CaN FuCkInG RiP HoLeS In sPaCe aNd tImE.... SoMeOnE LiKe mE ShOuLdN'T HaVe tHeSe. BuT EvEn sO ThE HaNdMaId lEfT ThEm fOr mE. sHe cOuLdN'T HaVe sEeN So fAr iNtO ThE FuTuRe cOuLd sHe? Am i uNdErEsTiMaTiNg hEr aBiLiTiEs?... hEh. WeLl xHiOnE YoU LiTtLe sHiT. i kNoW YoUr nAmE NoW. yOu mAd tHaT I ChEaTeD? sOrRy... I AiN'T ReAlLy a pAtIeNt kInDa fUcKeR.”  
Gamzee looks down at the skull and smiles widely.  
“XhIoNe. I tHiNk It FiTs YoU.” He walks over and picks the tiny skull up and holds it in the air.  
“WiSh i cOuLdA KnOwN A MoThErFuCkEr bEfOrE He uP AnD GoT HiS HeAd sQuIsHeD OfF. sOrRy aBoUt tHaT HoMiE. mAyBe oNe dAy iN SoMe fUcKeD Up tImElInE We'lL MeEt HuH?”

()

Three sweeps have finally passed for the group of ten rainbow trolls. They’ve trained hard and long and done a lot of work. Everyone’s gotten taller and they fit in their clothes much better now than they did before. Their weapons fit in their hands perfectly now and everyone has gotten significantly stronger.  
It’s hard for any of them to believe that so much time has passed... It almost feels like the world has forgotten about the fight that’s going on in another world. This fight could truly end it all.  
This is the last night the friends will spend under the stars like this. Relaxing and remembering which stars are where and making a connect the dots game out of it.  
“Hey. It’s been three sweeps as 0f a few days ag0. I w0nder when it’ll be time t0 g0.” Aradia sighs a bit and feels the metal of her whip, almost longing to try it out on that damn sea bitch the Condescension.... Vriska just sucks at her teeth in annoyance.  
“Psh! Pro8a8ly in another sweep! As I recall Gamzee had a pretty shitty memory!”  
“i THINK THAT’S YOU VRISKA.”  
“Haaaah?? Tavros you punk I wasn’t talking to you!” The two bantered like this often now, both knowing the other was joking. Mostly. Tavros had gotten MUCH taller in three sweeps and even sprouted a pair of wings. A note was posted on the door to their shared hive said that Tavros had finally earned them with all his hard work. But it only made Tavros miss Gamzee’s stupid purple handwriting...  
“G4MZ33 S41D THR33 SW33PS. SO M4YB3 1T’S 4BOUT TH4T T1M3.”  
Terezi’s gained some muscle weight for sure, and she’s lost a few inches around her waist which she can feel is rather sexy.~ So she often flaunts what she can’t see to Vriska and make her jealous, but of course Vriska just calls her a fatty and they then argue about such a thing for a good hour or so. Feferi usually comes in and tells them fat jokes aren’t funny, to which both girls disagree.   
Feferi hadn’t lost any weight, but by god she was a sexy curvy girl anyway. She wasn’t skinny or chubby. She is just right. Besides, for her huge height spurt it only makes her look more like a goddess.  
“Well no matter what we have to be prepared! We could be called upon any glubbing time so we can’t let our guard down!” The tyrant pink blooded troll girl rolls over on her stomach with her tiny feet pointing into the air, her hair flowing just about god damn everywhere. There was so much of it....  
Eridan who lays next to her puts his hands behind his head, but has been finding it difficult lately with his horns growing so fucking long in the back....  
“Wwhy can’t wwe evver just slack off for once? Wwhen wwas the last time wwe had a rest anyhoww?”   
“Don’t complain gills!” Calls cute Nepeta. Wait. Fuck. She’s far from cute now. In fact, to those who don’t know her she looks rather vicious. Her hair is cut crudely at the neck as if with her damn claws, and her features have become very sharp. Nose, eyebrows, corners of the eyes, cheek bones and DEFFINITELY her pupils, which were now becoming oval like a cats.... she’s rather skinny and still pretty short, but she’s bony and has quite obvious muscles from all her jumping around and what not.....  
“The second you slack off is the second we’ll have to rip Condy’s throat out!~”  
“WHY THE FUCK DO YOU SAY THAT SO CASUALLY?....” Karkat has grown taller too, which he often measures on the wall when no one is looking.... He’s grown a lot and now looks like a man instead of a slumping grouchy child like he used to. Now he’s a... taller more muscular slumping grouchy adult.  
“She’s Only Speaking The Truth. When The Time Comes To Relax Then We Can Relax. But For Now We Really Should Stay Alert At All Times. I Can Feel That Our Time Is Coming Closer...”  
Sweet Kanaya is now the second tallest of the girls, her features now long and lanky, yet incredibly graceful with every movement. Which right now is none, since she’s laying on her back on the stage floor (which she cleans every fucking day. Blood flying everywhere and dirt and UGH. Disgusting.) She’s honed her vampire skills to what she feels is almost the max, so right now she’s quite a night light for the group. This light calms everyone after a long day of sparring and information gathering, just like every day.....  
Equius is quiet, just thinking about how he hopes Tavros’ legs don’t get broken. Of course he’ll be able to fix them on site were they to get terribly damaged, but hiding or finding a decent place to replace the legs which he has several pairs of now just in case. Through all the fights they notice that with their new strength every month or so they break the fuck out each other’s stuff, usually Tavros’ legs. And THAT is because of course it’s part of Tavros’ training as well to protect the limbs that he needs to move around effectively. Buuuuut of course after long months of work, wear and tear they tend to just.... you know.... completely explode sometimes. Other times they fall right the hell off! So naturally Equius started working on longer lasting designs, occasionally looking back on his old work and cringing at the sight of it... How Naiive he was to think that THAT design could hold up to even a day or sparring with the group now.  
“I’m sure we will prove to be ready when the time comes.... When fate comes to knock on our door and invite us to the hellish clown fair and sea witch battle.”  
“WOW, GETTIN’ DEEP OVER THERE EQUIUS.” Karkat rolls his eyes, sarcasm thick in his tone.  
“Ah, the clouds are coming in! Come on guys, time to go!” Vriska sits up quickly, seeing the clouds quickly coming in. The others quickly roll or hop up quickly and run to the hive. They’ve long since abandoned the acid rain coat, figuring out that it wasn’t for long strolls in the stuff but instead a quick cover to get inside and not be melted by it... It’s also fun to run quickly away from impending doom. Hey it gets boring around here sometimes!  
The ten of them get inside quickly and head to their little bed mats... Three sweeps on the stupid things. They’ve gotten flat for sure... But luckily they’ve collected blankets which add to the softness. Tavros stands at the door and looks at their now very tiny hive... It’s hard for his huge fucking horns to get in the door and he sighs a little. They’re not as big as his ancestors of course.... but they’re pretty frickin’ long now.  
“Hey Tav, why are you looking so glum over there?”  
“aH, IT’S NOTHING. tHE SOUND OF RAIN ALWAYS MAKES ME THINK TOO MUCH IS ALL.”  
“Right. I’ve noticed that a lot. Whenever it rains you get blue!”  
“nO NO IT’S OKAY REALLY! i ALWAYS GO BACK TO NORMAL RIGHT?” Tavros smiles widely at Feferi, his sharp teeth sticking out over his top lip. Feferi smiles a little big back and lays in her bed with a yawn.  
“Don’t let it get you down Tavros. It’ll clear over night.”  
“yEAH, I KNOW.” He nods a little and watches everyone start to get late night snacks, Eridan getting a flashlight so he could read a book. Normally Feferi can’t sleep with a light in her face, so she made Eridan face the other way when he reads. Eridan just grumbled and did as she asked usually. Karkat sits on his bed and just stares out at the rain from the window resting his head on his hand. Rain was always such a bummer. It covered the stars most of the time.   
Nepeta of course climbs over Equius to her own bed and snuggles up to him. The guy was a god damn portable heater despite having cold blue blood. His muscles just made him warm somehow and small lanky Nepeta loved it. Equius always welcomes her into his warmth and they sleep like that all the time. Tavros can’t help but be jealous occasionally..... There were times he would go into Gamzee’s room when they were still young and on that meteor and he’d go over to his bed and try to crawl in silently. But the damn clown was always awake to smile at him and squish him around the waist.  
Inner sigh. He wonders how Sollux is doing....   
Well.... he knows Sollux is doing terrible.... and remembers that every few days and he just feels horrible to have the privilege to just fucking lay here on the floor and sleep with his friends in a warm hive.... A blue die is thrown right at Tavros’ head, and he catches it now used to random shit getting thrown at him.  
“Hey mohawk head don’t just stand there. Stop thinking so hard. It won’t fix jack shit.”  
“i KNOW BUT...”  
“You’ll never stop doing that will you?” Vriska looks at Tavros with a dubious face and Tavros can only shrug and sigh. He goes over to his bed and sits on it, looking out the window. Kanaya pats him on the back a bit.  
“Don’t Worry, Things Will Work Out.”  
“yEAH I KNOW... uNFORTUNATELY THAT DOESN’T TAKE THE BUTTERFLIES AWAY.” Kanaya just nods a little and curls up under her blankets, turning off her white glowing skin. Aradia hops in bed with some snacks and decides to stay up with Terezi to talk about how their sparring match went today.  
After many hours, everyone has gone to sleep, yet Tavros stays awake. Wide awake. He can’t get this sinking feeling out of his stomach.... The rain clears up finally and he walks over Terezi, Feferi and Eridan one at a time to get to the window and look up at the stars. He really really hopes all twelve of them can just..... be together again and be happy.... Is that really so much to ask for?...  
Tavros finally goes to his bed and lays on his back, staring up at the ceiling until eventually he too falls asleep.

()

The next morning everyone is awoken by Feferi shouting about clothes.  
“WHOA LOOK AT THIS GUYS WAKE UP!” Feferi yells, nudging Eridan since he was closest.  
“Wwhat the fuuuuckin’ hell Fef? I’m fuckin’ tired....”  
“Don’t go back to sleep look! There are different clothes on the wall!”   
“Huh??” Eridan sits up quickly, rubbing his eyes and feeling for his glasses which Feferi hand to him. Once he gets them on he sees the new clothes too!! All of them are on hangers and they’re hanging by the same nail as the clothes they got last time as a size adjustment and from their very first pair of fake blue and teal clothes. Nepeta’s head shoots up from under Equius’ arm, her eyes wide with alertness.  
“What’s going on???”  
“Look!”  
“Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa!.... This means...”  
Everyone wakes up quickly, trying to orient themselves to the sudden noise and commotion.... and when everyone sees the new clothes they’re in shock.  
All of the clothes are now of their own blood color. No more hiding... And a note! Karkat is the first to it, Tavros the second.  
“HOLY FUCK IT’S FROM GAMZEE! IT SAAAAYS...”  
“HeY GuYs. It’s bEeN A WhIlE. sOrRy fOr nOt nOtE-InG YoU Or wHaTeVeR ThE FuCk, BuT YoU KnOw hOw sHiT GoEs. ThEsE ArE YaLlS NeW ClOtHeS. gEt uSeD To hOw tHeY FeEl aNd rUn aRoUnD ThE CiTy aS MuCh aS YoU LiKe. ThEn gEt tO LeViNa. YoU KnOw wHaT To dO. sEe yAlL SoOn. – GaMzEe. :o)”  
Karkat gulps a little...  
“Is that fucking thing for real?!” Vriska half stomps over there and reads the note over Karkat’s shoulder.   
“It’s real.... As real as 0ur new cl0thes.” Aradia gets over to them and takes her outfit. A maroon red short sleeved shirt, black pants with leather hanging off the back of a belt and shoes with a lot of grip to them. The belt has a holder for her whip.  
“0h my....”  
Tavros’ outfit looks very similar to his ancestors whom he so admired... A tank top with his sign right in the middle with a black leather jacket, tassels on the chest and some black and orange pants with some black square toed boots.  
Nepeta has a rather simple outfit with a black short sleeved shirt, the sleeves being her blood color along with some tan roll up pants that have green buttons and strings.   
Kanaya comes over to her outfit to take a good look at it. The rose pattern was rather intricate and shone in the right light reflection. Long sleeves made out of black lace with a short dress going down to her butt and no further, but it also came with shin high leggings and flats. The dress has the black lace down its entirety and a jade green ribbon going across her ribs coming around the open back to tie in a bow.  
“Wow... This Is Rather Stunning.”  
Terezi comes up to her own outfit which is covered in plastic so she can lick away and not actually get the thing dirty. There is only one aspect about this outfit that is similar to Redglare, and that is the top vest in the shape of her Libra sign. The rest is a teal jumpsuit with black gloves and high boots. There is a spare pair of red sunglasses for her as well folded on the vest.  
“WOWZ4. TH1S SH1T 1S PR3TTY STYL1SH!”  
“How the hell did Gamzee do this? Like, does he sit on his ass and sew this shit for us?? Or does he use his wear clown powers to m8ke it?? I mean.... I guess it doesn’t matter but really!” Vriska’s outfit is almost exactly Mindfangs outfit, but with very red pants and black shoes. The back is short, but still longer than the white spider skirt under the coat. There’s a holster for her weapons dangling from the hanger.  
Equius’ outfit has some interesting features and is pretty different from his old tank top, shorts and leggings. There is a totally blue hoodie that appears tight, and has a few buckles across the chest that has arrows going diagonally through the hoodie. The pants are a little tight too, but there are many pockets. Hanging by more buckles is an arrow quiver, arrows and a very long bow with arrow designs poking out horizontally towards whatever Equius may be shooting at. It’s fucking badass for sure.  
“Wow.... I must say I’m impressed.... but will this thing really fit me?...”  
“I don’t think it’d be here if it didn’t fit you Eq.” Eridan goes to his uniform and touches it lightly. A purple and gold vest with a long purple and black tailed coat, a black shirt under the vest and some purple pants and black combat boots that.  
“Huh.... It’s elegant half wway through and then you get to the shoes.....”  
“I think it’ll look great on you Eridan. All of these outfits seem to be for tactical purposes for sure... Easy to move around in to keep our flexibility up as much as possible. Free range of movement.”  
Feferi’s outfit is a pink one piece short overalls that are a little loose and held together with a thin black belt. There’s a leather strap that seems to go on her back and it holds her separating tridents in an X formation. There are blue and pink buttons all over it. Her shoes are... well, her right one is green and the left one is blue. They’re knee high and have pink laces holding it all together.  
Finally, Karkat puts the note down and goes over to his own outfit. A black shirt with his sign in the middle that is in bright candy red... Something Karkat thought he’d never see.... The shirt is covered with a black and red stiff slightly pointed shouldered jacket and a popped up collar. It seems it was made that way........ there are white belts across the pants that seem to hold the large heavy sickles, and some skinny black and lined with bright red pants.  
Everyone just sorta looks at their outfits in shock... Is it really time to get REALLY ready?.... They all look at each other and nod quickly, separating and facing away from everyone as they strip out of their damn disguises... and into the clothes that finally show the world their true colors.....   
Once their outfits are on then turn around and look at each other....  
“Wwe’ve really grown up haven’t we?  
“LOOKS LIKE IT. HOPEFULLY ALL THIS GROWING UP WE DID WILL DO US SOME GOOD...”  
“I think it will. We’ve all worked very hard for this. Not once did we lose sight of what we had to do to reach the future.” Kanaya looks at Karkat and can’t help but be a little happy that her friends ended up being brought back to life when they came here.... Holding Karkat’s hand as he died from the stab wound Aradia gave him on that dead troll planet was horrifying... It was so sad. Watching her friend die and watching the Disciple scream and cry as she lived her worst nightmare all over again.... Nearly everyone was together now....  
But why did being together matter so much?? It didn’t matter.  
Being together isn’t why they’re doing this. They grew up together. They all truly grew up together, being each other’s care takers, shoulders to cry on, punching bags and listeners to get through these stressful 3 sweeps... six human years is a long time to be thinking of the future and training hard every single day... Thinking that when they go into battle with the Condesce that they’d lose another one of their group...  
Being together isn’t the issue. It’s the fact that friends don’t leave friends to suffer when they’ve survived through so much shit together. It’s the bond they all share that drives them to stay together and protect one another...  
“Is it time then?... To go see Levina?...” Feferi looks up from her discolored boots at her friends with a small gulp. Everyone knows what that means.   
Levina will die because of them.  
“I believe it is time. We can not hesitate.” Nepeta holds Equius’ hand a little (her claws hooked onto a pocket button for now) and looks up.  
“Even though Levinia is going to die.... I think she knows that this is important to us all. She knows her life is being used by us all to get to that other world that doesn’t affect her life... But she’s still willing to do it because she’s a good person. We’ll wish her goodbye and we won’t be sad in front of her! I’m sure the last thing she wants to see is us sad right before she dies!” She raises her fist a little and nods, determined to not make a sad face herself.  
“i AGREE... lET’S GO GUYS.” Aradia looks over at Tavros and can’t help but think how much Tavros has developed personality wise. He’s become tougher and even a little cocky when it comes to some things. But a lot of the time if he’s sad he’ll put on a tough guy front and smile crookedly at his friends.  
Karkat turns around and goes to the door after grabbing his weapon and puts them in the holders...  
“LET’S STOP WASTING TIME. SAY GOODBYE TO OUR HIVE. LEAVE YOUR STUPID BUTTERFLIES HERE AND HARDEN YOUR HEARTS. WE’RE FUCKING OUTTA HERE.” Karkat finally opens the door and walks out. He is SO ready to see Gamzee after all this time and to save Sollux and see him too. He’s been ready since day one. He won’t hesitate no matter what to get to his friends and help.   
The reddening eyes of the mutant blood stare straight ahead and don’t even look back to the hive or his friends, encouraging them to follow.  
One by one everyone leaves the house, last being Equius and Nepeta. They don’t close the door and they don’t look back. That hive served them well. But they know if they look back that they might lose some of their resolve...  
Even without looking back Nepeta holds Equius’ hand hard, nervous. Equius just looks down at her a little and holds her hand back. He’s learned to control his strength mostly so he doesn’t hurt his friends for real or break anything important.  
No one says a word as they walk down the streets of the city, other trolls looking at them confused... What were all those colors doing in the street? Bloods of almost every caste walking together. Some of the younger trolls come out and run to them.  
“what are you guys wearing those weird clothes for???”  
“Where are you going?”  
“Hey!”  
The group has to ignore them... If they look at the curious eyes of the kids then that too could suck some of their will power out.   
Karkat Eridan and Feferi are of course the ones who get the most looks and whispers.  
“Look at that one, a mutant??”  
“Yeah I’ve never seen that color before.... how has he survived all this time?”  
“Do you see that? Sea dwellers! They’ve hidden their ears this whole time?... How did we not notice?”  
“That one... Feferi.... She’s a tyrant blood! I knew I saw something off about her! Eridan must be her body guard or something.”  
“What the hell is going on here?”  
After a long walk of ignoring the people and the children who now stand back and watch their friends they’ve known all their lives walk away, the group of ten trolls gets to Levina’s house and Kanaya knocks lightly. Inside they hear the movement of their old lady friend and she opens the door with a smile.  
“I knew today was the day... come in.” They all step in one by one when Levina steps aside for them.”  
“Levina... We’re sorry.”  
“Sorry? Don’t be ridiculous. For what? I was going to die soon anyway so I won’t really be losing any time. I’m ready to go honestly.”  
“H0w can y0u say that?...” Nepeta purses her lips into a thin line when Aradia says that with such emotion.... Levina simply sits down and makes tea for the group. No one dares to stop her....  
“It’s been a long time and I’ve had an exciting life, even though I’ve never left this city. You all and Gamzee have made my life worth the wait. This is the last chapter and the last page for me. And I can’t wait to get to the last line.” She turns around and smiles at them a little then sits down with her own cup of tea. Everyone sits at booths with their own tea and most just stare at it nervously as if drinking the tea would be drinking the life out of Levina....  
“I know I’ll be able to watch your progress from somewhere. I’ll be able to see what all of this has lead up to and be able to see the exciting and dangerous and world changing fight you all are about to go into. You’ll be able to see your friends again after all this time. Are you not positively giddy with anticipation?”   
“I’m scared...” Eridan looks at Feferi just with his now purpling eyes.  
“I’m scared of what I don’t know. I have no idea what’s going to happen to us or to our friends. I’m scared that our fight with the Condesce will get another world killed and innocent people will die for nothing if we fail! I’m scared that more of my friends will die when I should be able to protect them and I’m scared that all of this was for nothing.... My stomach hurts and my head is pounding just thinking about all of the terrifying options that can happen.  
But even knowing that there is so much that can and will go wrong.... we won’t go down so easily. Without a fight that is. I know we’ll all fight as hard as we can until the end. Even if only one of us survives... we’ll know that we did our best. If even only ONE of us survive and the Condesce dies... then I know we’ll all be happy. That one person who could survive shouldn’t feel despair because we’d accomplished what we set out to do...”  
Levina smiles at her throughout her thoughts and nods a little.  
“The nervousness will go away. This is special tea I’ve made to calm your nerves.”  
“Are you drinking it because you’re scared too?” Feferi looks up from her cup at Levina.  
“No. It’s delicious and I thought it would be nice to have a last cup of tea with all of you before you set off on your latest adventure.”  
“An adventure is an understatement for sure Levina....” Vriska lifts one sharp eyebrow and chuckles.  
“But an adventure it is. And I have faith in all of you that you can make a difference. You’re going up against the Condescension herself. A sin! Treachery! Blasphemy! It’s.... Tyranny!” Levina giggles at her own joke and sighs a little.  
“Now. The time is coming up. Drink your tea everyone, can’t have butterflies when you get there. You must all accept this reality and run into it head first!” She raises her old veiny fist in the air and smiles with a youth none of them remember seeing before.... They all down their tea and stand up. Remarkably enough, everyone has calmed down a little bit. Her words are true. This is really a go big or die kinda thing and if they half ass it then all will be for not.  
Levina finally stands up and goes behind the counter and gets a keychain looking thing with a glass pendant.... that looks exactly like the portals they’ve seen all these years. A black and purple swirling vortex spins inside the glass and it’s a little unsettling. But it also looks like their gate to the other world and that’s what they all want.  
“Alright everyone. You should really be quick about this understand? The moment the portal opens up, you should run right through. Gamzee told me that you’d all end up between some buildings so you could keep hidden in that world that doesn’t know you or trust you. He says he’s set up a path for you all to follow to get to him. He said only you all would understand the path signs.... Alright... here we go. Get ready everyone.”  
“GOODBYE LEVINA.... THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE FOR US.”  
“Not at all a problem darling... It’s the least I can do to thank YOU all. If it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have met Gamzee..... Tell him I said hello would you?” She smiles at the group, then turns around and musters up as much of her elderly strength she can to throw the necklace down on the ground, the portal swirling like smoke out of the broken glass and forming a portal.  
As each troll runs through the portal they take one last look at Levina’s old smiling face until the darkness of world crossing blocks their view.  
When everyone is gone.... the portal closes and Levina just stands there and looks at the empty spot.....  
Then her smile widens...  
“I’ve waited a long time to see you... you darn jerk.”  
“I kNoW. I’m Sorry. But I’m here now just like I promised all those sweeps ago.” A shadow comes close to her and towers over her nearly three times. Gamzee gets up to the old Levina and smiles down at her.  
“I’m here Levina.”  
“You’re here.” She walks up to him and hugs him tightly around the waist, her hands pointing up to his shoulders and Gamzee holds her in his large embrace.   
“I’m scared.... to die. It was so hard to stay optimistic in front of the kids.... But I knew being sad would ruin everything...”  
“You stayed strong Levina.... Thank you so much. I don’t deserve someone like you in my life.... but I would never change that.”  
“I’m so glad I met you.... I’m so glad I won’t die alone... without ever seeing you again.” A small sob escapes Levina’s thin lips and she hugs the much taller Gamzee tighter.  
“I hope those are tears of fucking happiness.”  
“They are Gamzee. They really are.” Levina can feel her heart beat hard, so happy that Gamzee is finally there.   
“Everything went exactly as you planned. Exactly as you said it would.”  
“I’m glad. That means that this fight should go better than any other time.”  
“You’ve watched them all die so many times haven’t you? How did you not fall and lose hope?”  
“I couldn’t lose hope. My friends are everything. They’re all I ever had. And you. Without you I wouldn’t have been able to set this all up. You are truly the axis to all of this.”  
“How many times..... have you watched me die?”  
Gamzee is silent and he only hugs her tighter.  
“You asked me that every time... But it doesn’t matter how many times I watch. The pain will never go away. But don’t be scared of death.... I know what waits beyond death. And you’ll love it, I swear.”  
“Will you be there?...” Gamzee is silent again...  
“I don’t know. But we’ll meet again somehow. When I do die you’ll be the first one I look for.”  
“Do you promise?”  
“I promise.” The two close their eyes and Levina relaxes into Gamzee’s grip. She’s so happy that words like that can come out of Gamzee’s mouth and be directed at her.  
“Levina.” Him saying her name makes her happy. Happier than anything ever has. And to think that every time Gamzee restarts this cycle she is the first person he goes to makes her heart soar...  
“--ina.” She’ll get to see him again some day... she just has to wait a bit longer for him...  
“—a.”  
()  
The ten trolls hop out of the other end of the portal and when the last one gets out the portal closes into nothingness... Nepeta bites her black lips hard trying to fight back tears knowing that Levina....  
Equius squeezes her hand to keep her focused. Karkat is the first to start following the path of tiny purple painted clown smiley faces that Gamzee left for them. He will NOT waste any more time. Gamzee is somewhere around here. Their Gamzee after six fucking sweeps is HERE FOR REAL... No more notes or stupid signs or shit like that, but the REAL PHYSICAL GAMZEE. The others quickly follow and slowly begin to notice something odd about the place.  
“NO ON3 1S MOV1NG...”  
“It feels super creepy... There’s no noise at all...” Feferi gulps a little, but Eridan is sure he knows what’s up. Aradia DEFFINITELY knows what’s up.   
“Time has st0pped it seems.”  
“YEAH IT’S SORTA CREEPY. THIS PLACE LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN IT DID IN THE WORLD WE JUST CAME FROM... I CAN’T PUT MY FINGER ON IT THOUGH...”  
“It looks like..... the building’s are different. I remember exactly wwhere wwe are... or wwhere this area is in the wworld wwe came from. But it looks like different buildings made to look like the other ones...”  
“1 C4F F33L 1T 1N TH3 D1RT. TH3 4R34 W4S D3STROY3D 4ND TH3Y H4D TO R3BU1LD...”  
“You can feel all that just by the dirt?” Vriska looks back at Terezi a little, then decides to feel the dirt with her shoes a little more.  
“Yeah I guess it isn’t as packed down as the other place... It’s softer, my heals are going through it.”  
Feferi looks around and sees people walking in the sandy streets. They all look... well... their faces look different. They’re full of anxiety and wariness. Although they notice something more....  
“Hey... a lot of these people have paint on their faces. They’re purple juggalo guys just like Gamzee. Isn’t that sorta weird?” Nepeta sniffs around, but it seems even smell has been stopped in time so she can’t gather much.  
“yEAH I NOTICED THAT TOO NEPETA. jUGGALO’S AREN’T USUALLY IN THE CITY LIKE THIS, THEY’RE USUALLY IN THEIR OWN LITTLE TENT CITY THING... BUT IN THIS WORLD THEY’RE MINGLING?”  
“I Suppose Gamzee Being Grand Highblood Like He Said.... He Made Some Changes To How These People Live... How Odd. But I’m Sure It’s A Step Forward.” Kanaya scratches at the lace on her arm a little, feeling the cold of unmoving time... It’s eerie and static-y....   
“Ah this way everyone.” Equius points to another painted face and they turn a corner and quickly rush across the dirt street, unsure about when the time could start again. They quickly hide, but end up seeing another portal in an alleyway.... when they see that they see the huge tent which they assume is Gamzee’s place.  
“lET’S TRY THERE...”  
“I’ll go check on the portal!”  
“WAIT I’LL COME WITH YOU!” Karkat chases after Nepeta to the portal while the others go on either side of the tent to peek in....  
Nepeta peeks her head through the portal and Karkat just stands there with his arms folded.  
“Hmm... Oh, there’s someone. PST!! PST!!!”  
A little boy looks over at Nepeta away from his much taller female friend. Nepeta pulls her head back and looks at Karkat.  
“I got the attention of a cute little juggalo boy! Gimmie a second!”  
“WHAT?? NEPETA DON’T MESS WITH THE PAST!”  
Nepeta sees the boy coming up to the portal and she reaches out and grabs him and pulls him through!!  
“Ah!”  
“Hey kid!”  
“STOP MESSING WITH THAT PUNK NEPETA WHAT IF YOU MESS SOMETHING UP!”  
“U....uhh?????”   
“Do you know where Gamzee is?”  
“Gamze?? He should be in his tent there. That’s his throne tent and it’s where he usually is when he’s not at the stage or out buying Faygo.”  
Feferi comes over and bends over to him. “Do you know if he’s seen Sollux?”  
“Huh??” Tieono looks confused and scratches his head.  
“I don’t know who that is.... sorry.” Fef frowns a little and folds her arms standing up. Darn it....  
“I... I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”  
“No no it’s okay, it’s not your fault.” She smiles at him and pats his head. Eridan calls to them and points at some of the trolls slowly beginning to move!!  
“Uh oh! Time to go!”  
“HUH???” Nepeta picks Tieono up under her arm and runs quickly with the others behind a different building away from the tent and all press up to the wall.  
“What the actual fuck is going on around here??”  
Eridan comes up to Tieono and points his sharp nailed finger at him.  
“Listen kid. You tell Gamzee to get his ass over here or I’ll fucking cull you.”  
“Y0u are S0 RUDE Eridan.” Aradia comes up and pushes his face away, when suddenly they hear someone yelling at them.  
“Hey! Whoever you are in there, give back Tieono!”  
“No!~” Nepeta responds playfully.  
“Who are you!?”  
“None of your business!~”  
“NePeTa?...”  
Nepeta’s eyes go big. That sounds like Gamzee when they were younger!...  
“Woopsies!! Hehe!” Tieono is shoved through the portal and he flops on the ground brushing up dust.  
“NePeTa!!!”  
The portal closes and Nepeta sighs.  
“Wow. That was weird.”  
“YOU’RE THE ONE THAT CAUSED THAT YOU DUMMY!”  
“Karkat I’m Sure It Was In Gamzee’s Plan. Look.” Kanaya points out to the streets where people are slowly starting to move out of the time freeze.  
“And this too. We’ve come up to a door.”  
“iT HAS GAMZEE’ SIGN ON IT!” The two point to the door with the purple capricorn sign on it....  
“WELL..... LET’S GET IN THERE.”  
The group composes themselves and Tavros grabs hold of the handle and twists it and pushes it open. There are stairs running up in a spiral to the top floor.  
“WH4T K1ND OF BU1LD1NG 1S TH1S 3V3N??”  
“A stupid one that’s for fuckin’ sure...” Eridan grumbles a little and adjusts the strap holding his large blue rifle.  
“Up we go guys!” Feferi starts to run up ahead of everyone else and the others follow, Kanaya closing the door behind them. Many flights of stairs later they finally get to the top and there is a single door down a hallway, windows letting in a little light. Everything here is dusty and rotting...  
“Ew... It’s pretty thick in here.....” Vriska waves her hand in front of her nose with disgust...  
“D0n’t be a baby, we’re 0n an adventure remember?”  
“I don’t see what that has to do with jack shit, 8ut I guess all we can really do is get to that door.” Karkat’s the first to run the fuck down there followed by Tavros who is having no trouble running through the wide hall. He wonders if Gamzee planned that too.....  
When Karkat gets to the door he grabs the handle and yanks it open. Inside, time begins, the dust falling and the candles inside flickering. Tall older Atori stands there and looks back at Karkat and Tavros.  
“Huh? Oh wow.... Gamzee it worked... It worked!”  
“Of cOuRsE It fUcKiNg wOrKeD! i wOrKeD HaRd gEtTiNg eVeRyThIn’ JuSt mOtHeRfUcKiN’ rIgHt.”  
Gamzee turns around to look at his much older friends, for probably the hundredth time since the last cycle of time... His hair is longer and larger, his facepaint has changed a little bit, adding white teeth to the grey smile. He’s god damn tall that’s for sure. He’s nearly twice Karkat’s size and his eyes are fully purple....  
“HeY KaR, tAv.... iT’S BeEn a lOnG AsS TiMe hUh?” Karkat just stands there taking this new Gamzee in....

to be CONTINUED


	14. Chapter 14

LAST TIME 

()

When Karkat gets to the door he grabs the handle and yanks it open. Inside, time begins, the dust falling and the candles inside flickering. Tall older Atori stands there and looks back at Karkat and Tavros.  
“Huh? Oh wow.... Gamzee it worked... It worked!”  
“Of cOuRsE It fUcKiNg wOrKeD! i wOrKeD HaRd gEtTiNg eVeRyThIn’ JuSt mOtHeRfUcKiN’ rIgHt.”  
Gamzee turns around to look at his much older friends, for probably the hundredth time since the last cycle of time... His hair is longer and larger, his facepaint has changed a little bit, adding white teeth to the grey smile. He’s god damn tall that’s for sure. He’s nearly twice Karkat’s size and his eyes are fully purple....  
“HeY KaR, tAv.... iT’S BeEn a lOnG AsS TiMe hUh?” Karkat just stands there taking this new Gamzee in....

()

After a few minutes of staring, Karkat breaks loose from his stance and rushes Gamzee throwing his arms around his waist (since that’s as high up as he can reach really.....) and hugs him tightly!!  
“WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SO TALL YOU FUCKING BACK OF DISEASED GOOY DICKS?! WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST COME BACK?! WHY THE GOD DAMN FUCK DIDN’T YOU JUST COME BACK TO US IF YOU HAVE ALL THIS TIME TRAVELING BULLSHIT POWERS HUH!?!! DO YOU HAVE ANY FUCKING IDEA HOW---...” Karkat grits his sharp teeth and looks up at Gamzee with big bubbly girlly tears forming in his red and yellow eyes. Gamzee just picks Karkat up from under his arms and hugs him tightly to his chest.  
“YoU KnOw wHy bRo. ShIt’s gOiN’ oN In tHiS TiMe. AnD I CoUlDn’t lEaVe sOlLuX BeHiNd nOw cOuLd i?”  
“I KNOW BUT--- YOU--” Karkat looks up at Gamzee again and that stupid clown just has a small smile on his face.  
“HOW CAN YOU BE THE SAME GAMZEE WE GREW UP WITH EVEN? YOU’RE REALLY DIFFERENT.”  
“I SeEn a lOt wItH ThEsE StAnKy cLoWn eYeS O’ mInE KaRbRo...”  
“A LOT?... HAS IT BEEN LONGER FOR YOU?”  
“OoOoOh yEaH It’s bEeN LoNgEr fOr mE... fOr yOu gUyS It wAs tHrEe sEePs. I’Ve bEeN DoIn’ WhAt i’m dOiN FoR AbOuT....... aToRi hElP Me oUt....”  
Karkat looks over at Atori when Gamzee sets him down. Atori. Isn’t that the guy that one little kid mentioned Gamzee would be training with in a tent or something? Huh.  
“Since you got here... It’s been about fourty somethin’ sweeps I think.”  
“FoRtY SoMeThIn’? sHiIiIt mAn. YeAh iT’S BeEn a lOnG TiMe.” Karkat’s eyes go huge.... over forty sweeps????  
“GAMZEE.... WHY HAS IT BEEN SO LONG?...”  
“WeEeLl i gUeSs i hAvE A LoT Of eXpLaInInG To dO...”  
“YOU’RE GOD DAMN RIGHT YOU DO YOU PIECE OF SHIT.....”  
“PlEaSe tRy nOt tO HaTe mE KaRkAt... It rEaLlY WaS FoR ThE BeSt.... i dOn’t tHiNk i cOuLdA MoVeD AnOtHeR InCh iF I HaD To dO ThIs aGaIn.... sO I HaD To mAkE ThInGs hArDeR FoR YoU So yA’Ll wOuLd gEt mOrE PoWeRfUl.....”  
“WHAT ARE......”  
“gAMZEE!!” Tavros gets his horns through the door and his eyes are just...... full of all kinds of emotions. Karkat steps aside, because he knows Tavros has been suffering the same pain he has....  
“TaVbRo.... tAv....” Tavros rushes over and jumps, swinging his arms around as much of Gamzee as he can. Gam bends over and picks Tavros up around his waist and hugs him tightly.   
“TaV..... fUcKiNg hElL.... I MiSsEd yOu sO MuCh....”  
“gAMZEE..... gAMZEE!” Even though Tavros looks much tougher now and more like a cool guy, he’s still a troll who has been without his red quadrant for a long time.... He’s still a person with feelings that he can’t control sometimes... Even though his face has become that of a man, tears break from his eyes like a flood with every passing second of finally having Gamzee in his arms.  
He still smells the same, and even though he’s older and larger and more muscular, he still feels and sounds the same...   
“i MISSED YOU MORE YOU D-DAMN JERK!”  
“I TrIeD LeAvIn’ YoU As mAnY NoTeS As i cOuLd tAv. DiD YoU GeT ThEm?”  
“i DID! i GOT ALL OF THEM! aND EVERY TIME I SAW YOUR STUPID CLOWN FACE DRAWING AT THE END I’D C-CRY BECAUSE I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! i THOUGHT MY BLOOD PUSHER WAS GOING TO IMPLODE ON ITSELF! iT HURT SO MUCH YOU STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID JERK!!!”  
“I KnOw tAv... I’M So sOrRy, BuT It wAs aLl i cOuLd dO To kEeP In tOuCh wItH YoU WiThOuT RuInInG ThIs tImElInE. i wAnTeD To gO In tHaT HiVe aNd hUg yA AnD KiSs yA FoReVeR... bUt iF I DiD It rEaLlY WoUlDa mEsSeD StUfF Up... AnD I CoUlDn’t lEt iT HaPpEn aGaIn.”  
“y-yOU KEEP SAYING THAT SHIT AND IF YOU SAY IT AGAIN WITHOUT EXPLAINING IT I’M GOING TO PUNCH YOU R-RIGHT IN THE PROTEIN CHUTE!!”   
Gamzee laughs a little and just buries his stupid painted face into Tav’s neck.  
Atori stands by the door and lets everyone in, then walks to Karkat.  
“So I take it you and the orange guy are the red ones.”  
“HUH??”  
“He called you the red one for your blood which is ASTONISHINGLY red by the way, and he called the wide horned guy the red one for his quadrant. Honestly I have no idea how Gamzee got a red quadrant.” Atori looks down at the far shorter Karkat and smiles a little.  
“SO WAS I JUST THAT? THE RED ONE?”  
“No no. You all were lots of things. He named you by color of course, and then he had nick names for you all. You’re Karbro, Pale bro, pinky, the REALLY red one. I’ve never seen a red so... vibrant.” Karkat looks up at Atori defensively for a second, until Atori raises his hands in surrender.  
“Ah no no I don’t mean that badly! I’m not castest. Gamzee was sure to sear that into all of our heads during his long ass rule.”  
“SERIOUSLY?”  
“Oh yeah. He talked about being with the lot of you all the time and how the blood colors never really affected anyone’s friendship with the other. He told me he was proof of that, having a matesprit who was considered a lowblood and a moirail whose blood isn’t even on the spectrum, and other friends of a color from every chuck of it too.”  
“WOW.... SO HE NEVER FORGOT ABOUT US?”  
Atori looks down at Karkat a little shocked and it seemed to hit a chord with him that Karkat notices quickly wasn’t a particularly good one.  
“The only reason he’s alive right now is because he chose to live and fight for his friends. Every single waking minute he thought of you all. Every day he’d talk about the past with you all, or how something someone did reminded him of a little tick someone else in your group had. Of COURSE he never forgot about you. You’re here now because of him--” Deep breath.....  
“Sorry... I guess I’m.... nah. Never mind. Gamzee. Get to greeting everyone so we can sit down and talk about things.”  
“Y-yEaH.” Gamzee smiles hugely and sets Tavros down. One by one all of his friends come up and hug him or shake his hand. going down the line.  
“Gamzee y0u’re friggin huge!”  
“AgE DoEs tHaT To yOu aRaDiA.---I MEAN NOT /YOU/--”  
“I know what you mean you doof. @_@” Aradia hugs Gamzee where she can tightly and moves over. Nepeta runs and JUMPS on Gamzee and hugs him around his neck and big stupid hair.  
“GAMZEEEEEE!!!! I knew we’d see you again! I knew it!!”  
“Aw mAn, SiS I MiSsEd yOuR SpUnKy aTtItUdE. sOuR PuSs oVeR HeRe iS....”  
“HUH????” Atori squints at Gamzee and Gam just chuckles and waves the other off.  
“Oh nothin’.” Nepeta jumps off and runs over to Tavros to hug the weepy boy while the others took their turns. Kanaya comes up and folds her arms.  
“You Thought This Outfit Would Be Suitable For Battle?”  
“YeP. i aIn’t a sTyLiSh gUy, BuT I WaNtEd tO Do mY BeSt fOr yOuR OuTfIt. It’s gOt a fUlL RaNgE Of mOtIoN So iT WoN’T SlOw yA DoWn nOnE AnD It lOoKs gOoD.” Gamzee nods matter-of-factly and Kanaya is silent..... then smiles.  
“Well You Did Good I Must Say. The Lace Is Soft On The Inside And The Dress Isn’t At All Tight And It’s Stunning. I Like The Green Bow For A Little Extra. You Could Have Used Black But The Lace Would Make It Seem Like Over Kill. I’m Proud Of Your Choice.”  
“I’M GlAd yOu lIkEd iT SiS.” The two hug and Kanaya moves to the side to let Terezi come up.  
“W3LL SH1T ST41N 1T’S B33N 4 WH1L3 4ND 1 H4V3 4 LOT 1 W4NN4 S4Y...”  
“StIlL MaD At mE?”   
“DUH. BUT TH4T C4N W41T. 1T’S ST1LL GOOD TO S33 YOU.... F1GUR4T1V3LY.” They hug and then Vriska comes up and just looks confused.  
“Wow uh..... I don’t even know what to say. It’s good to see you 8ut I never imagined you’d 8e so d8ng tall. And.... I dunno. It’s just 8een so long since I’ve seen you I almost forgot what your stupid p8nted face looked like! I see a different Gamzee from 8efore and it’s weird to me...”  
“YeAh a lOt’s cHaNgEd, NoT GoNnA LiE. bUt i’m sTiLl tHe sAmE StUpId mOtHeRfUcKeR FrOm bEfOrE.”  
“Christ I hope not TOO much...” Vriska decides a hug is in order and gives him a tight one before moving aside. The tallest of the rainbow group, Equius comes up and has to look up less than the others to Gamzee’s bright purple gaze.  
“Gamzee... I must say I’m impressed...”  
“YeAh? WiTh wHaT? i gOtTa sAy i’m iMpReSsEd. YoU LoOk sTrOnGeR ThAn yOu uSeD To.”  
“Of course I do, I’ve trained hard with the others. I knew my strength would be necessary....”  
“YoU CaN ShOoT A BoW NoW RiGhT?”  
“Well of course, I haven’t missed a bullseye in sweeps...”  
“PeRfEcT. tHaT BoW I GaVe yOu wOn’t bReAk oN Ya lIkE ThE OtHeRs pRoBaBlY DiD. i mAdE GoD DaMn sUrE Of iT.”  
“Thank you... it’s good to see you again Highblood.”   
“GoOd tO SeE YoU ToO Eq mY BrO.” Gamzee hugs the slightly more hesitant Equius until the bloo blood walks to the side. Eridan comes up to Gamzee and just stares at him...... But he’s unable to bring up any words.... He looks down a bit and to the side as if looking for the right words to say floating in the air... Without settling on anything he looks back up at him.  
“I KnOw yOu gOt a lOt tO SaY ErIdAn. I CaN SeE It bRo. BuT I PrOmIsE I’Ll aNsWeR EvErY QuEsTiOn yOu hAvE.”  
“Swwear?”  
“SwEaR. gOoD To sEe yOu mAn.” He smiles again when Feferi pushes Eridan’s face right the fuck outta the way and she jumps and hugs him tightly around the neck!!!  
“Oh Gamzee I’m so )(appy to see you again!!! I’m so sososoossosoosssosossossososo )(appy!!!”  
“BaW FeF I MiSsEd yOu tOo!! gOsH YoUr oUtFiT LoOkS GoD On yOu. YoU GoT So tAlL AnD WoMaNlY! iT’S SoRtA WeIrD AcTuAlLy.”  
“Oh yeah? Well good because I’m ready to get this show on the road!”  
“Before we get the ‘show on the road’—” Atori interupts.  
“Let’s go this way to a bigger place. To the tent Gamzee?”  
“HmMm... To tHe sTaGe. ThAt fEeLs lIkE A GoOd pLaCe.”  
“The stage?”  
“YeAh, I GoTtA InTrOdUcE EvErYoNe tO EaCh oThEr.”  
“Oh god that’ll take forever....”  
“We nEeD To aNd yOu fUcKiNg kNoW It aToRi yOu pIeCe oF ShIt.”  
“Yeah yeah, fucking brick head.” The two just smirk rudely at each other.  
Gamzee reaches back and pulls a lever, opening a door in the wall.  
“AlRiGhT MoThErFuCkErS ThIsAwAy.”  
“Wait when did you put that door in there????”  
“It’s aLwAyS BeEn hErE AtOrI, tHiS UsEd tO Be a sAfE HoUsE FoR RuNaWaY LoWbLoOdS WhEn fUcK FaCe sTiLl wAs iN ThE SeAt.”  
“FUCK FACE?”  
“The previous Highblood. The very very very large one.....”  
“OH CHRIST THAT GUY. I NEVER THOUGHT I’D HEAR ABOUT HIM AGAIN..... OH WAIT SHIT, GAMZEE YOU’RE THE HIGHBLOOD! SHOULD WE BE BOWING OR KISSING YOUR SHOES OR SOMETHING?” The sarcasm is thick in Karkat’s voice, but Gamzee just laughs and starts to walk down some stairs.  
“DoN’T Be dUmB. i dOn’t eVeN LiKe bEiNg hElD In sUcH HiGh fUcKiNg rEgArD By aNyOnE. jUsT TrEaT Me lIkE YoU NoRmAlLy wOuLd.”  
Tavros quickly runs up to Gamzee and slips his hand into the purple bloods and holds it tightly. Gamzee looks down at his tough orange blooded sweetie and holds his hand back with a smile. Karkat rushes over as well and takes the other hand, although he looks far more embarrassed to do so... Gamzee also takes his hand and the three walk together.  
Nepeta’s shipping green eyes flash with excitement and the others can’t help but notice with the way her aura is literally fucking sparkling, that she really hasn’t changed one god damn bit.  
“Ddaaaaah look at ‘am! They’re a perfect trio! Aaahhh what a hot ship!”  
“Nepeta it doesn’t even fit in the quadrants the w8y you’re thinking a8out things.....”  
“Shush Vriska let a girl dream!~” With a green blush dusting her cheeks Vriska just rolls her blue eyes as hard as she can and as dramatically as she can. Feferi just giggles and puts her cold hands to her hot cheeks.  
“Nepeta you are terrible!~”  
“You know it!~”  
“You both are disgusting” Equius can’t help but say.  
“You’re still such a baby, let us have our thoughts while we can!” Nepeta and Feferi walk together and giggle.  
In the back is Eridan who is almost glaring at Gamzee’s stupid giant hair and tall horns.... He isn’t sure how he feels about all this right now... He’s angry at Gamzee but he also knows he shouldn’t be, but that only makes him more upset..... Guess he’ll just have to wait until they have a sit down to figure stuff out...  
Kanaya walks with Terezi and she seems to be in a good mood.  
“Oh Terezi This Is It. This Is Really Truly The Moment We Learn Everything We’ve Wanted To Know For So Long... We’re Slowly Becoming A Whole Again.”  
“Y34H. 1T’S PR3TTY W31RD THOUGH. 1 GU3SS 1’M JUST SUSP1C1OUS 1S 4LL B3C4US3 1 ST1LL DON’T H4V3 THE 4NSW3RS R1GHT TH1S S3COND.... 1 KNOW 3R1D4N F33LS TH3 S4M3 W4Y.”  
“Are You Doubting Gamzee?”  
“1’M... R3S3RV1NG JUDG3M3NT 1S 4LL...”  
“I See. I’m Sure He’ll Put Some Light On...... All Of The Subjects For Us.”  
“4LL OF TH3 SUBJ3CTS?”  
“/ALL/ Of The Subjects.”  
After a long walk down the stairs and down a few hallways, they appear at another door that Atori opens and it leads right to the stage. Karkat and Tavros are the first to get a look at it.  
“tHIS IS... THE SAME PLACE...”  
“YEAH THIS IS THE SAME STAGE WE PRACTICED ON ALL THIS TIME!”  
“YeP. i wAnTeD Ya’lL To bE In a fAmIlIaR PlAcE, sO I MaDe sUrE ThE StAgE WaS ThE FoCaL PoInT Of yOuR SeArCh aNd sHiT.”  
“WHY THE STAGE THOUGH?”  
“WhY NoT ThE StAgE My bRoThEr? I GrEw uP On tHiS StAgE Ya kNoW? i tRaInEd hArD HeRe sO I KnEw tHaT YoU GuYs wOuLd tOo eVeN In aNoThEr tImElInE AnD ShIt. AlRiGhT RoUnD We gO ErR’BoDy.” Gamzee sits down with the others and the rainbow circle is nearly complete....  
Tavros and Gamzee of course refuse to let the giant juggalo go, and everyone understands that. Atori is sitting between Tavros and Nepeta and he can’t help but take some good looks at everyone’s faces. These are the kids Gamzee grew up with and talked about all the time. He’s utterly intrigued.   
“AlRiGhT, aSk aWaY EvErYoNe.”  
At first everyone is quiet. They all look at each other and Feferi finally speaks up.  
“Tell us more about Sollux, PLEASE... Now that were here there can’t be much to hide right?....” Her hopeful sad face at the front of her question.... Gamzee nods.  
“AlRiGhT HeRe's tHe dEaL. cUnT LiPs hAs sOlLuX On hEr sHiP AnD ShE'S HaD HiM FoR As lOnG As i'vE BeEn hErE. oN HeR ShIp i lEaRnEd tHaT ShE ToLd hIm wE WeRe aLl dEaD AnD ThAt hE KiLlEd uS.”  
“WHAT?? WHY THE HELL WOULD SHE DO THAT?”  
“WeLl bEcAuSe sHe kNoWs tHaT ThAt's hOw sHe'd gEt hEr nEwEsT BaTtErY To sTaY WiTh hEr. ShE TrEaTs hIm bEtTeR ThAn tHe pSiIoNiIc, BuT StIlL TrEaTs hIm lIkE ShIt.”  
“How did you learn this Gamzee?...”  
“I GuEsS It's aLl iN ThE TiMe tRaVeLiNg i'vE HaD To uP AnD Do aLl tHiS TiMe... FoR FoRtY SwEePs i'vE ReLiVeD EvErY ScEnArIo i cOuLd tO GeT ThE BeSt oUtCoMe. BuT WiTh eVeRy tImElInE It's tHe sAmE. sHe tAkEs hIm aNd cOnViNcEs hIm hE KiLlEd uS AnD He sOrTa lOsEs iT. So sHe rEaLiZeD ThAt iF ShE TrEaTeD HeR BaTtErY A BiT BeTtEr tHaN ThE LaSt tHeN He wOuLd lAsT LoNgEr. ShE PrEtEnDs tO Be a nIcE SyMpAtHeTiC LuSuS WhEn sHe's tOtAlLy lYiNg tO HiM...”  
“How..... Gamzee....”  
“HOW MANY CYCLES HAVE YOU GONE THROUGH?...”  
“ThAt sHiT AiN'T ImPoRtAnT. i'vE BeEn aRoUnD ThE BlOcK A FeW TiMeS... aNd i'vE SeEn fUcK ToNs oF OuTcOmEs...”  
“WH4T K1NDS OF OUTCOM3S?”  
“BaD OnEs. ArAdIa yOu kNoW WhAt iT'S LiKe yEaH?" Gamzee looks over to Aradia at his left and she nods.  
“Yes. When I was traveling with the Handmaid we saw l0ts 0f different results and endings, m0st 0f which never ended well 0f h0w we planned... I went thr0ugh..... I think thirty 0r s0 r0unds.”  
“I'Ve dOnE A HuNdReD RoUnDs. AnD EvErY TiMe iT'S AwFuL...”  
“So that’s why you weren’t really reacting to us showing up like this. You knew the whole time.” Vriska leans in a little and finds this disturbing.... To watch people you care for so much die so many times....  
“YeP. i'vE DoNe tHiS A HuNdReD TiMeS. yOu gUyS ShOw uP AnD We mEeT AnD TaLk aBoUt pAsT EnDiNgS AnD ThEn yOu gUyS ThInK YoU'Ll dO It tHaT TiMe. YoU ThInK 'fUcK YeAh i gOt tHiS' aNd tHeN We gEt oUt tHeRe..... AnD It's hElL. tHe fIrSt tO Go uSuAlLy cHaNgEs, BuT ThE LaSt fEw tImEs hAvE BeEn kArKaT.....”  
Gamzee holds Karkat’s hand a little tighter thinking about it. Karkat looks up at his much taller friend and strokes his hand with his free one, trying to reassure him that he was there.... But then he wonders if that does any good since he’s sure a different timeline version of himself did the same thing.....  
“I ReMeMbEr tHe vErY FiRsT RoUnD LiKe iT WaS FuCkIn' YeStErDaY. i dIdN'T SeT Up a mEeTiNg pLaCe. I WaS StIlL YoUnG AnD DiDn't kNoW ShIt aBoUt sEcReCy. We mEt oUt iN ThE OpEn aNd hAd a gReAt rEuNiOn... ThEn wE TaLkEd fOr tEn mInUtEs.... tEn fUcKiNg mInUtEs aNd tHaT GoD DaMn tRiDeNt fLeW It's wAy iN AnD StUcK ItSeLf iN FeFeRi's bAcK... eRiDaN FlIpPeD OuT FiRsT, sO He wAs aN EaSy eMoTiOnAl tArGeT FoR ThE BaTtEr wItCh aNd hE WaS CuLlEd nExT... eVeRyOnE RaN In wItHoUt a pLaN... wItHoUt fOrMaTiOn wItHoUt /AnY/ sOrTa iDeA WhAt tHeY WeRe dOiNg. So wE AlL FoUgHt hArD, bUt... We wErE AlL StIlL ReAlLy yOuNg iN ThAt tImE. bEfOrE I WaS KiLlEd, I AcCiDeNtAlLy sToPpEd tImE WiTh tHe hAnDmAiD'S WaNdS ThAt sHe lEfT Me. TiMe sToPpEd aNd i dIdN'T KnOw wHaT ThE FuCk hApPeNeD. aLl i kNeW WaS ThAt mY FrIeNdS WeRe dEaD AnD I HaD To gO BaCk aNd fIx iT... sO ThAt's wHeN It sTaRtEd. I WeNt bAcK AbOuT TeN TiMeS, aNd oN ThE TeNtH TiMe sOlLuX FiNaLlY CaMe iNtO ThE PiCtUrE. wE MaNaGeD To sUrViVe lOnG EnOuGh bEcAuSe i'd gIvEn yOu gUyS A LiTtLe tImE To tRaIn wItH Me. I TaUgHt yOu wHaT I LeArNeD AnD It wOrKeD PrEtTy gOoD. bUt sOlLuX CaMe oUt aNd wIpEd uS AlL OuT In a sEcOnD.... I HaD To sToP TiMe aGaIn aNd i rEmEmBeR JuSt sItTiNg tHeRe iN ThE DiRt sTaRiNg aT ThE BlOoD ThAt wAs pOoLiNg aT My kNeEs... So i rEwOuNd aGaIn aNd tRiEd tO StOp mYsElF FrOm dOiNg aNyThInG To hAsTy.... i hAd tO ThInK AbOuT ShIt aNd hOw tO MaKe iT So i wOuLdN'T HaVe tO SeE YoU GuYs dIe oVeR AnD OvEr.....”  
“Gamzee....” Kanaya has her hands together tightly... She looks down sadly at her knees and knows there are more explanations..... but hearing this made her want to cry... She can’t even for a second imagine the pain and mental strain it was putting on Gamzee..... Gamzee who was doing his best to get the best outcome for everyone..... Gamzee, who had to watch everyone die one by one so many many times and him thinking it was his fault.....  
“Gamzee.... You Know.... That The Reason We Died So Many Times Was Because Of Our Inabilities Right?” Everyone looks over to Kanaya whose hands are in a tight ball.  
“It Was Because We Weren’t Strong Enough And We Weren’t Prepared That, Without Your Help We Would Have Be—“  
“BeEn dEaD FoReVeR. i kNoW SiS.... It's oKaY ThOuGh. I NeVeR CaReD WhAt tHe rEaSoN FoR OuR MaNy fAiLuReS WaS... i jUsT KnEw tHaT I HaD To kEeP TrYiN' iS AlL.”  
Kanaya swallows hard and grits her teeth a little.... Dammit of course her alternate timeline had said something like that.... Maybe she should stay quiet so she won’t repeat the process for Gamzee again. But what if her other timeline self thought that too. DAMMIT.  
“DoN'T SwEaT It kAnAyA.”  
“But..... Fine.... What About The Rest Of The Times?”  
“ThE ReSt oF ThE TiMeS. lEt's sEe. AfTeR ThAt tEnTh tImE We wOuLd aLwAyS GeT To sOlLuX AnD FoR AbOuT FiVe tImEs aFtEr tHaT He kIlLeD EvErYoNe aGaIn, AnD ThEn oN ThE TwEnTy tHiRd tImE I AcCiDeNtAlLy kIlLeD SoLlUx. So /ThAt/ WaS A GoD DaMn bUsT AnD HaD To sTaRt oVeR ThErE.” Gamzee rolls his eyes at himself for making such an obvious error.  
“How did you accidentally kill him?!” Feferi facepalms hard and Gamzee responds.  
“WeLl lEt's sEe..... It hApPeNeD A CoUpLe tImEs aNd mOsT Of tHe tImE SoLlUx jUsT KiNdA GoT In tHe wAy oF CoNdY WhEn i wEnT In fOr tHe sTaB, oR I'D ReFlEcT HiS PoWeRs aNd tHeY'D BoUnCe bAcK AnD HiT HiM AnD He'd dIe tHeN, aNd tHeN ThErE WaS ThIs oNe tImE WhEn eRiDaN KiLlEd hIm aNd fEfErI WeNt bOnKeRs aNd kIlLeD ErIdAn, AnD So iT WaS JuSt a gIaNt cLuStEr fUcK EvErY TiMe.”  
“I..... I killed Eridan myself??” Feferi looks slightly horrified that she could EVER find it in herself to kill Eridan, even if he HAD killed Sollux....  
“YeP. yOu gRaBbEd hIs hAiR AnD YaNkEd hIs hEaD BaCkWaRdS UnTiL HiS HeAd kInDa jUsT RiPpEd oFf. So tHaT'S WhEn i rEaLiZeD We wErE StIlL A LiTtLe tOo yOuNg tO Do aNy rEaL DaMaGe tO CoNdY. wE WeRe iNfLiCtInG HeLl oN OuR GoD DaMn sElVeS, sO ImMaTuRiTy wAs a tHiNg i hAd tO AcCoUnT FoR, wHiCh iS WhEn i gOt tHe iDeA To lEt yOu gUyS TrAiN FoR HaLf a sWeEp oR So. So i dId tHaT FoR TeN SwEePs aNd tHaT StIlL DiDn't wOrK. wE StIlL NeVeR GoT A HiT On tHaT BiTcH AnD ToO MaNy oF Us dIeD FoR Me tO Be hApPy wItH SuCh sHiT ReSuLtS. sO I WeNt bAcK AgAiN.”  
“You speak so calmly about all of this highblood.....”  
“It really shouldn’t come as a surprise Eq that he wwould. He has after all seen this a hundred times. He knowws it’d be fuckin’ stupid if he let his emotions get in the wway of evvery single explanation he told. Blockin’ out the ache is better than lettin’ it get in the wway all the time.”  
“YeP. tHaT'S RiGhT. iT SuCkS BuT It's tRuE. aFtEr aNoThEr tEn sWeEpS Of uS FuCkIn' LoSiN' aNd gEtTiNg oUr aSsEs kIcKeD EvErY SiNgLe tImE, i sTaRtEd rEcRuItInG HeLp fRoM OtHeR TrOlLs tO SeE If i cOuLd bEnD HoW ThInGs wOrKeD FrOm tHe oUtSiDe. AnD I StArTeD SeEiN' sOmE BeTtEr rEsUlTs. EvErY TiMe i aSkEd fOr hElP FrOm sOmEoNe i tRuStEd aNd eVeN MaNiPuLaTiNg pEoPlE I DiDn't kNoW ThAt wElL I SaW BeTtEr aNd bEtTeR ReSuLtS. jUsT LiTtLe tHiNgS, lIkE FeF NoT KiLlIn' ErIdAn, Or sOlLuX'S PoWeRs nOt bOuNcInG OfF Of a fOrCe fIeLd, Or eQuIuS NoT BrEaKiN' a bOw oR AnY WeApOn hE HeLd aCtUaLlY. tHiNgS LiKe kArKaT NoT LoOkInG BaCk tO YeLl aT SoMeOnE WhO WaSn't kEePiNg uP AnD HaViNg hIm nOt dIe, ThInGs lIkE TaVrOs sTaBbIn' FoRwArD An iNcH To tHe rIgHt wHeRe tHe bEsT BlOw wOuLd oCcUr. I GoT To tHe 60tH TiMe aRoUnD AnD FiNaLlY I AsKeD AtOrI FoR HeLp. My oRiGiNaL AtOrI.”  
Gamzee looks over at Atori with a small smile, and Atori smiles back, then sits up straight proudly.  
“I AiN'T NeVeR GoT As fAr aS I DiD BeFoRe tHaT WiThOuT AtOrI. hE HeLpEd mE SoRt oUt hOw i fElT AnD He hElPeD Me sTrAtEgIzE. i mEaN Of cOuRsE AfTeR A FeW MoRe sWeEpS Of bUlLsHiT DeAtHs tHaT DiDn't nEeD To hApPeN, aToRi tOlD Me hE'D Go bAcK In tImE WiTh mE InStEaD Of bEiNg sOmEoNe wHo lOsT AnY MeMoRy oF FiGhTiNg iN ThE FiRsT PlAcE LiKe eVeRyOnE ElSe dId. So i tOoK HiM BaCk wItH Me eVeR SiNcE ThEn. AfTeR A FeW MoRe tHiNgS I StArTeD GoInG To lEvInA WhO I TaLkEd tO AlL ThE TiMe wHeN ShE WaS GrOwIn' Up aNd iT TuRnS OuT ShE CaMe uP WiTh gReAt iDeAs tOo, So i sTaRtEd uSiNg tHiS WoRlDs lEvInA FoR SmAlL ThInGs tO HeLp gEt tHiNgS DoNe. AnD EvErY FiGhT ThAt hApPeNeD WoUlD TuRn oUt bEtTeR. wE StArTeD GeTtInG HiTs oN ThE StUpId sEa bItCh aNd sHe'd gEt fRuStRaTeD AnD LoSe hEr cOoL WhIcH MeAnS We cOuLd gEt mOrE DaMaGe oN HeR. bUt iT TuRnS OuT ShE WaS AlSo gOiN' bAcK In tImE AnD WaTcHiN' oUr eVeRy mOvE... sHe fOuNd uS OuT AnD WaS JuSt fUcKiNg wItH Me fOr aNoThEr 30 RoUnDs, ThAt fUcKiNg gOd dAmN BiTcH....."”  
Gamzee gets another several paps on his big hand from Karkat and Gam remembers to take a couple breaths to relax.  
“So tHaT'S WhEn i fIgUrEd i hAd tO ReAlLy mAsK AnD HiDe wHaT We wErE DoInG. pLaCeS WhErE ShE CoUlDn't fInD Us oR SeE Us. I HaD To gO To oThEr tImElInEs aNd aSk oThEr vErSiOnS Of pEoPlE I KnEw fOr hElP. i wEnT To tHe tImElInE WoRlD WhErE YoU GuYs jUsT CaMe fRoM AnD FoUnD ThAt lEvInA. sHe wAs sTiLl jUsT A KiD. aNd i tOlD HeR To hElP Me oUt. WhIcH ShE DiD, bUt iT TuRnS OuT ShE WaS ToO YoUnG To dO A LoT. sO I WoUlD WaIt aNd cOmE BaCk wHeN ShE WaS A LiTtLe oLdEr, AnD I CaMe bAcK So mAnY TiMeS UnTiL I GoT To tHe rIgHt aGe wHeRe sHe cOuLd hElP Me. AnD I FiNaLlY GoT To tHe rIgHt aGe aNd i bEgGeD HeR To bUiLd a tUnNeL. aT FiRsT ThE TuNnEl wAsN'T LoNg eNoUgH AnD HeR LuSuS DiDn't tRuSt mE WhIcH Is uNdErStAnDaBlE. wHeN I ExPlAiNeD To tHe bOtH Of tHeM WhAt wAs hApPeNiNg iN ThIs tImElInE ThEy hElPeD Me wIlLiNgLy. ThE TuNnEl wAs mAdE AnD I WeNt bAcK EvEn fUrThEr wHiLe sHe dId tHaT UnTiL I GoT BaCk tO ThE DaY ThE WiTcH FlOoDeD ThE PlAnEt oF DeAd tRoLlS.”  
“yOU WENT ALL THE WAY BACK? aLL THE WAY BACK THERE? wHY COULDN’T YOU HAVE JUST STOPPED HER RIGHT THERE??”  
“TaV DoN'T YoU ThInK If i cOuLdA DoNe iT I WoUlDa? I WaNtEd sO BaD To fUcK HeR ShIt uP. bUt tHeN AlL My tImElInE JuMpInG AnD HaRd wOrK AnD AlL YoUr dEaThS WoUlD HaVe mEaNt nOtHiNg. So i hAd tO LeT HeR FlOoD It. I HaD To wAtCh aLl tHe kIdS AnD CaMpFiReS AnD OuT OlD EsCaPe pOd gEt fLoOdEd aWaY, aNd i wAtChEd wHeN ArAdIa pRoTeCtEd yOu aLl wItH HeR SiCk pOwErS. a cOuPlE TiMeS ThE CoNdEsCe wOuLd nOtIcE YoU AlL SiTtInG DoWn tHeRe iN A LiTtLe bUbBlE AnD ShE'D KiLl yOu. So i hAd tO UsE SoMe oF My vOoDoO MaGiC I'D BeEn wOrKiNg oN To vEiL YoU GuYs fUrThEr. YoU GuYs wOuLd pOwEr tHrOuGh tHe wAtEr aNd gEt tO ThE PoRtAl tHaT ThE HaNdMaId sEt uP FoR YoU To eScApE WiTh.”  
“How’d she know that we’d end up in a specific place and time?”  
“CuZ I TaLkEd tO HeR Of cOuRsE. oR I GuEsS, sHe cAmE To mE.”  
“She DID??? Tell us m0re!”  
“SuRe sUrE. wElL It wAs aFtEr i gOt yOu gUyS AlL VeIlEd uP AnD To tHe pOrTaL I WoNdErEd hOw tHaT PoRtAl wAs tHeRe, AnD HoW HaNdY KnEw wHeRe tO PuT It aNd wHeN To pUt iT. tHe tHiRd tImE I SaW It aNd wOnDeReD ShE ShOwEd uP AnD ToLd mE To nOt gIvE Up. I ToLd hEr ' wHaT ThE FuCk aRe yOu tAlKiN' aBoUt wHaT Do yOu tHiNk i'm eVeN DoIn' HeRe?' aNd sHe aSkEd mE WhAt tImE It wAs, So i tOlD HeR. iT LoOkEd lIkE ShE DiDn't eXaCtLy mEaN To lAnD In tHaT TiMe pErIoD WhIcH I ThOuGhT WaS FuCkIn hIlArIoUs. ThE HaNdMaId nOt kNoWiN' wHeRe oR WhEn sHe wAs? GoD DaMn hYsTeRiCaL! aNyWaY So i tOlD HeR AbOuT WhAt wAs gOiN' oN AnD ShE JuSt tOlD Me nOt tO GiVe uP. i aSkEd hEr iF ShE'D GoNe aHeAd aNd sEeN ThE OuTcOmE, tHe rEaL OuTcOmE AnD ShE SaId nAh. I SaId wHy tHe gOd dAmN FuCk nOt, AnD ShE SaId sHe cOuLdN'T, wHiCh i tHoUgHt wAs wEiRd bEcAuSe sHe's sUpPoSeD To gO AnYwHeRe aNy tImE AnD FoR HeR To nOt bE AbLe tO Go tO ThE PlAcE I NeEdEd hEr tO GeT To wAs fUcKiN AnNoYiNg. BuT ShE ToLd mE EvEn sO To nOt lOsE HoPe. So i tOlD HeR 'fUcK YoU Of cOuRsE NoT' aNd sHe rOlLeD HeR EyEs aNd pOoFeD AwAy. I CoUlDa bEeN NiCeR To hEr, BuUuUt i wAs iN A BaD MoOd sOoOoO I WaS A DiCk.”  
“GAMZEE HOW DID YOU GET THROUGH ALL OF THIS WITHOUT..... ME? WOW THAT DIDN’T SOUND FUCKING SELFISH AT ALL. DON’T EVEN--- PRETEND I DIDN’T OPEN MY FUCKING GARBAGE HOLE.”  
“NaH KaR DoN'T WoRrY, aSk aLl tHe qUeStIoNs mAn. I WaS AbLe tO CoPe bEcAuSe i oFtEn wEnT BaCk tO SnEaK PeEkS At yOu gUyS. aNd jUsT SeEiN' yOu kArKaT MaDe mE FeEl bEtTeR. eVeN ThOuGh i kNeW I CoUlDn't cOmE Up tO YoU AnD HuG YoU, i cOuLd sEe yOu aNd i cOuLd sEe tHaT YoU WeRe tHiNkInG AbOuT Me aNd tHaT'S AlL I NeEdEd...” Gam smiles at Karkat a little and Karkat just looks down, a light dusty pink on his cheeks.  
“DON’T FUCKING SAY IT LIKE THAT MAN IT’S EMBARRASSING.”   
“HeHeHeHe. DoN’t Be ShY nOw.” The bigger troll hugs tiny Karkat and Karkat just sits there without hugging back, but also without struggling.  
Nepeta makes a diamond shape with her fingers and smirks with her sharp cat teeth and snickers.  
“Keh keh keh!~”  
“I KnOw, Me aNd tHe tOwNs fOlK SaW YoU GuYs a bUnCh aRoUnD HeRe.”  
“HUH HOW? >:?” Terezi leans foward, her head resting on one of her hands from her crosslegged position.   
“I GuEsS AlL My tImE TrAvElInG To yOuR TiMeLiNe wAs eFfEcTiNg hOw yOu gUyS ShOwEd uP In tHiS WoRlD WhErE I OrIgInAlLy lAnDeD. wE SaW FlAsHeS Of yOu gUyS RuNnIn' ArOuNd tHiS StAgE HeRe sInCe i sEt uP PoRtAlS ThAt yOu cOuLd sEe wHaT HaPpEnEd tO SoLlUx iN ThE FiRsT PlAcE AnD I GuEsS It cOnNeCtEd tHe tWo wOrLdS FoR A FeW SeCoNdS. i rEmEmBeR WhEn i fIrSt aCtUaLlY BeCaMe hIgHbLoOd i nOtIcEd tHaT SoMe gUaRdS AnD SoMe rAnDoM TrOlLs wErE CoMiNg tO Me sAyInG ThEy wErE SeEiN' tRoLlS ThAt wErEn't fRoM ArOuNd hErE AnD As tImE PrOgReSsEd eVeRyOnE CaLlEd yOu pHaNtOmS Of dAyS PaSt aNd wEiRd sHiT LiKe tHaT. bUt wHeN ThEy sTaRtEd mEnTiOnInG CoLoRs i wAs gEtTiNg sOrTa wEiRdEd oUt. I DiDn't gEt iT. oF CoUrSe i tHoUgHt oF YoU GuYs eVeRy tImE It hApPeNeD BeCaUsE I WaNtEd tO BeLiEvE It wAs yOu tHaT EvErYoNe wAs sEeInG..... aNd lUcKiLy iT WaS FuTuRe mE DoIn' SoMe hArD CoRe tImE TrAvElInG WoRk.”  
“WOW. SO... WHAT ROUND IS THIS? WHAT NUMBER OF TIMES OF GOD DAMN FAILURE ARE WE ON?”  
“NuMbEr 101 mY BrOtHeR.” He nods a little and lets out a small sigh. A tired sigh.  
“gAMZEE WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE.... THAT THIS TIME WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST TIMES?” Tavros looks up at Gamzee and notices he’s been stroking his thumb over Gamzee’s hand.  
“WeLl tAv hOnEsTlY I CaN'T TeLl yOu iF ThIs iS ThE TiMe. BuT I KnOw fOr a fAcT ThAt tHiS Is aT LeAsT GoNnA Be oNe oF ThE BeSt cYcLeS I CaN ImAgInE. i'vE DoNe eVeRyThInG ThAt i cAn uP To tHiS PoInT ThAt wE ShOuLd gEt a pErFeCt gAmE. nO OnE DiEs aNd wE CaN AlL StAy tOgEtHeR. i hAvEn't pLaNnEd aNyThInG FoR AfTeR We wIn eVeNtUaLlY...”  
“That May Be A Good Thing Gamzee. Getting Our Hopes Up With Promises Of A Perfect Game Are Unreasonable...”  
“Aw kAn cOmE On. If wE ThInK Of tHe fUtUrE WhErE We'rE AlL ToGeThEr tHeN AiN'T ThAt sOmE GoOd iNcEnTiVe? If yOu aLl wAnNa lIvE AnD SeE ThE ReAl sUcCeSsFuL FuTuRe tHaT'S AhEaD Of uS ThEn fIgHt hArD FoR YoUrSeLf aNd fOr yOuR FrIeNdS. iS ThAt tOo cHeEsY?”  
“A Little Bit.”  
“A LOTTA 8it.” Vriska chimes in under her breath.  
Eridan speaks now.  
“So Gam wwhen wwe entered this place you told Atori you had people to introduce us to. Wwhere are they?”  
“I WaNtEd tO GeT EvErYtHiNg sEtTlEd. BuT I GuEsS If yOu'rE ReAdY To mOvE On wE WiLl. It aIn't lIkE I'M ClOsInG ThE QuEsTiOn bOx oR AnYtHiNg.” Gamzee stands up and looks at Atori and the two nod to each other. Feferi and Nepeta are the first to stand up.  
“Ya'lL ArE GoNnA MeEt mY MaIn tRaInErS WhO TaUgHt mE EvErYtHiNg i kNoW. tHeY HeLpEd mE GeT StRoNgEr aNd hElPeD Me wItH My cHuCkLe vOoDoO PoWeRs aNd wHaT NoT.”  
“HOW STRONG WITH THAT WEIRD SHIT ARE YOU ANYWAY?..... YER MAKING ME NERVOUS YOU JERK.”  
“i’M SURE IT’S FINE KARKAT.”  
“YOU TRUST HIM /THAT/ MUCH?”  
“wELL OF COURSE I DO. hE’S NEVER LEAD US ASTRAY.”  
“OTHER THAN THE HUNDRED OTHER TIMES BEFORE THIS? YEAH HE HAS.” Tavros puffs out his cheeks and squints at Karkat a little.  
“wELL NEGATIVE NANCY PANTS I BELIEVE IN GAMZEE AND YOU SHOULD TOO.”  
“HE FUCKING /JUST/ SAID THAT WE’VE ALL DIED A HUNDRED TIMES BEFORE THIS TAVROS, I’M NOT TOO OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS OUTCOME... IT’S LITERALLY A LESS THAN ONE PERCENT CHANCE THAT WE’LL WIN BASED ON WHAT HE TOLD US.”  
“I'M StAnDiN' rIgHt hErE YoU KnOw kAr bRo....”  
“DON’T YOU ‘KARBRO’ ME YOU FUCKING DIRT SNIFFING ASS DRAGGER, YOU CAN’T SPOUT THAT SHIT ABOUT EVERY PREVIOUS LIFE AND FIGHT BEFORE THIS HAS ALL ENDED IN FUCKING RUIN AND EXPECT ME TO BE EXCITED AND READY TO GO FOR THE NEXT BATTLE. IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE SENDING US OUT TO DIE AGAIN SO YOU CAN GET SOME MORE RESEARCH DONE.”  
Gamzee looks down at Karkat and thinks for a second.  
“So... WhAt iF I PuNcHeD YoU In tHe hEaD RiGhT NoW. dO YoU ThInK It'd hUrT?”  
“EXCUSE ME???”  
“I SaId iF I PuNcHeD YoU In yOuR DoMe, Do yOu tHiNk iT'D HuRt?” Karkat looks at Gamzee in slight disbeliefe. He wasn’t sure what the fuck Gamzee was talking about.  
“WELL YEAH IT’D FUCKING HURT IDIOT, YOU’D BE PUNCHING ME IN THE FUCKING ‘DOME’ WITH YOUR GIANT STUPID FIST.”  
“DoEsN'T ThAt pRoVe tHaT WhAt yOu'rE GoInG ThRoUgH Is rEaL? dO YoU WaNnA JuSt lAy dOwN AnD DiE AnD NoT EvEn tRy bEcAuSe yOu tHiNk i'm uSiNg yOu fOr sOmE StUpId bUlLsHiT ExPeRiMeNtS? iS ThAt wHaT YoU GoT OuT Of eVeRyThInG I SaId?.... ThAt's a dAmN ShAmE BrO.”  
Gamzee sulks a little bit and Karkat just looks up at him.... then down to his hands a little.  
“I.... DUNNO. IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME GAMZEE AND I JUST GOT HERE AND LISTENED TO YOU TELL US ALL THAT WE’VE DIED A HUNDRED TIMES BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO GET THE..... JUST SHUT UP, I KNOW YOU WANT WHAT’S BEST, BUT IT’S JUST SORTA..... WEIRD TO HEAR YOU SAY IT WITH SUCH A FLAT TONE. I GET YOU’VE HAD TO SAY IT EVERY TIME AND I GUESS THAT WHAT BUGS ME. DOES EVERY INCARNATION OF US MEAN NOTHING? ARE THESE VERSIONS OF US JUST SOME BULLSHIT FILLERS—”  
Gamzee lifts his big fist and bonks it right on top of Karkat’s head.  
“OW JESUS CHRIST WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR DEAL?!”  
“KaRkAt nO MaTtEr wHaT VeRsIoN Of yOu i sEe yOu'rE StIlL My mOiRaIl wHo i nEeD. yOu'rE StIlL My bEsT FuCkInG FrIeNd. I DoN'T LiKe wAtChInG YoU GeT YoUr lImBs tOrN OfF AnD I DoN'T LiKe wAtChInG YoUr bLoOd cOvEr eVeRyThInG I SeE. i dOn't gEt aNy jOy oUt oF WaTcHiNg yOu aNd eVeRyOnE ElSe i cArE AbOuT GeT BuRnEd tO DeAtH AnD DrOwNeD To dEaTh. Do yOu tHiNk i dOn't fEeL ShIt wHeN I HaVe tO FiGhT HaRd wItH YoU AnD WaTcH YoU AlL DiE AnD ReWiNd oNlY To wAtCh iT AgAiN WiTh mInOr dEtAiLs cHaNgEd? Do yOu tHiNk i wAtChEd aNd dIdN'T FeEl sAdNeSs? ThErE Is nEvEr aNd nEvEr wIlL Be a vErSiOn oF YoU GuYs tHaT I DoN'T FuCkInG LoVe.”  
Tavros listens to Gamzee and then looks at Karkat with a ‘told you fucker’ face.  
Karkat just holds his head and looks up at Gamzee..... then down at his feet....  
“ALRIGHT ALRIGHT..... IT’S JUST.....”  
“Are these the little fuck wits you tell us about all the time?” A new voice breaks the dull chatter of the rainbow group. The tall and now rather lanky Reznia walks in at the head of the group, Tieono a pace behind her. Tieono instantly points to Nepeta!  
“Hey it’s you! You’re that girl who grabbed me in the portal and then pushed me out!”  
Nepeta’s eyes go big and she jumps down off the stage.  
“Whoa if it’s really been so long then why do you only look a little bit older??? Is it really you??”  
“Well yeah!” Teiono is now very fall and his paint has been updated from it’s simple swirl and dot under his left eye to two swirls and two dots under his eyes. But his three pronged star like horns are honestly just a bit bigger than they were before. He’s as tall as Reznia now for sure.  
“Reznia don’t be rude to the children, the’ll be helping us a lot.” old man Kloshe walks up and he looks even older now, slightly hunched over. Even so he apparently refuses to use a cane...  
“I say let her do what she wants. They still look stupid and scrawny to me.” Bratty Persha walks up and she’s older now too. Taller fork horns and even longer hair adorn her head and behind her, hand in hand with her, is Marsho. Silent as ever. His hair is still long and his face paint has also gone from a pointed smile to a curvy more meanacing looking grin.  
“Don’t mind that one..... She’s always been quite a snot.” Elegant Chebur walks on the right side of the group with a taller and worn out looking Grooga.  
“No one asked you Chebur.”  
“I don’t need asking.”  
“That’s enough you two... This is a happy moment and we should all be greeting our guests and possible saviors with respect.”  
“ThErE Ya aRe kLoSh, ChRiSt i tHoUgHt yOu dIeD Or sOmEtHiNg.” Gamzee smiles as a much older very hunched over Kloshe walks in.   
Our rainbow trolls look at Kloshe and wonder how on earth something so old can even move...  
“You shouldn’t expect me to get here first, i’m getting old.”  
“No yOu aRe /NoT/ i oNlY CaLl yA 'oLd mAn' As a jOkE. 'SiDeS I KnOw yOu gOt aNoThEr fIfTy iN Ya.”  
“Elder abuse! It’s cruel to wish me another fifty.”  
“Alright well we’re not going there.” Atori interupts. He coughs a little...  
“Everyone up on the stage. Introductions and all that.” The juggalo group get on stage and begin to introduce themselves in a big giant circle.  
“I’m Tieono! I saw you when I was a kid cat lady! And candy blood colored guy! I saw all you guys!” Tieono smiles widely and points at Nepeta, who smiles back and waves at him.  
“I’m Reznia. Tieono is my Moirail and no one fucking touches him. EVER.” Reznia squins at Nepeta a little for taking her sweet little moirail from her that time..... Nepeta just scratches the back of her head a little and waves at her as well. Equius squins at Reznia who then squints at him.  
“I’m.... Chebur. This is Grooga. He doesn’t like to talk much. So I talk for him.”  
“Do you alwways knoww exactly wwhat he’s gonna say or wwants to say?” Eridan asks while tilting his head a bit and folding his arms. Chebur makes the smallest of smiles and nods.  
“We’re matesprits. And we have been for many many sweeps.” Feferi looks down at them holding hands tightly as if the other is their life line. She smiles a little and squishes her own hands together excitedly. It’s very nice to see another matespritship, especially one between two purple blooded juggalos. It’s also a little strange. Even though she knows matespritships happen all the time between two of the same color, but when it comes to these juggalo trolls..... it always seemed far less likely.  
“Oh gosh that’s so sweet! How many sweeps exactly, do you know?”  
“Mmmmm... I’ve nearly lost track of time. Grooga?~” Another small smile from her. Grooga thinks hard, distorting his blunt rocky face a bit..... A voice comes from him finally. Very deep and rather raspy.  
“Almost our whole lives.... 90 sweeps?”  
“Gosh it’s been that long.”  
“Wow!~ That’s so cool!~” Feferi and Nepeta say together.  
“Anyway..... I’m Persha.”  
“And I’m Marsho...”  
“We’re together too you know!” Persha holds up Marsho’s hand in her own, not wanting to be outdone by the perfect couple over there....  
“Bawww~ I think you two look cute together!~” Nepeta hugs herself a little at her shippy feels nearly exploding from her chest!  
“I’m Klosh. Been through a few highbloods in my life and Gamzee is my second favorite one.”  
“Sec0nd fav0rite??” Aradia puts her hands on her hips and can only remember The BIG motherfucker as Highblood before Gamzee...  
“XhIoNe iS HiS FaVoRiTe. MiNe tOo aCtUaLlY.” Gamzee walks up from backstage. When did he even......   
Gamzee holds the skull with the four moehawk curved horns in his hands, now so big they make the skull look even smaller than it did before.  
“U...Uh... Why Exactly Do You Have A Skull?” Kanaya doesn’t look quite as excited about it as Aradia does.  
“Y0u said his name was Xhi0ne?”  
“YeP. tHiS LiTtLe gUy wAs tHe hIgHbLoOd bEfOrE KuRlOz... ThE GuY WhO I'M MaDe fRoM. mY AnCeStOr. I HaVe hIs sKuLl yA'Ll bEcAuSe iT'S TrAdItIoN To kEeP ThE SkUlL Of tHe hIgHbLoOd bEfOrE YoU AfTeR YoU KiLl tHeM.” Gamzee smiles fondly at the skull and hands it over to Kloshe who holds it with both hands.  
“dOES THAT MEAN YOU HAVE... THE BIG GUYS... KURLOZ’ SKULL TOO?”  
“I SuRe dO TaV. i mAdE It iNtO A ChAiR BeCaUsE HiS WaS ToO BiG FoR Me. BuT EvEnTuAlLy i gOt tOo bIg fOr iT, sO I HaD To bReAk hIs jAw aNd bEnD It bAcK FuRtHeR. gOoD TiMeS. yAnKeD HiS HoRnS OuT AnD PuT ThEm iN HiS EyE SoCkEtS. iT LoOkS PrEtTy fUcKiN CoOl, NoT GoNnA LiE BrO.”  
“You.... used his skull as a throne???” Vriska makes a slightly disgusted face, but it’s easily over powered by a wide sharp sneer. She rather enjoys the fact that Gamzee dismantled that jerks skull. Aradia interupts loudly.  
“What ab0ut the rest 0f his b0nes?!” A big smile is planted on her maroon lips.  
“SoRrY SiS, i uP AnD BuRnEd tHe dAmN ThInGs. ToO BiG To uSe fOr mUcH ElSe. AnD I DiDn't wAnT AnY PaRt oF HiM OtHeR ThAn tHe tRaDiTiOnAl hEaD NeAr mE Or mY PeEpS, dIg mE? bAd mUmBo jUmBo. CaN'T HaVe tHaT WhEn i'm tRyIn' To rAiSe tHeM As aN ArMy.”  
A long pause from everyone. The purple trolls don’t look at all surprised. They knew about this already.  
“4N 4RMY?” Terezi scrunches her nose a little...  
“ThAaT'S RiGhT SiS. a gOd dAmN ArMy. AfTeR GoIn' ThRoUgH A CoUpLe cYcLeS Of gEtTiNg mOrE HeLp fRoM EvErYoNe... AlL My pEoPlE SaId tHeY WaNtEd mE To tRaIn tHeM To hElP FiGhT FoR ThE NeXt rOuNd..... So fOr tHe lAsT ThReE CyClEs i'vE BeEn tElLiN My pEoPlE ThE StOrY OvEr aNd oVeR AgAiN AbOuT HoW In tHe lAsT RuN ThEy wAnTeD Me tO TrAiN ThEm. AnD So nOw aLl oF My aBlE BoDiEd bRoThErS AnD SiStErS ArE TrAiNeD AnD ToUgH As nAiLs tO HeLp uS AlL FiGhT AnD KiLl tHaT DaMn wItCh aNd tAkE OvEr.... sPeAkIn oF WhIcH.... FeFeRi.”  
“M...me?” Feferi stands up a little straighter and points at herself. Eridan gets on high guard and holds onto his strap. Gamzee sees this, but he goes on.  
“YeP. fEf, SiNcE YoUr pInK BlOoDeD SeLf hAs tHe tRaDiTiOn oF KiLlIn' YoUr pReDeCeSsOr i wAs wAnTiN' tO TaLk tO YoU AbOuT WhAt yOu wAnTeD To dO.”  
“W....wow you remembered?”  
“CoUrSe i rEmEmBeReD, iT'S ThE WaY It's bEeN SiNcE ThE DaWn oF TiMe yO. eVeRyOnE ShOuLd kNoW ThAt.” An educated Gamzee is a very strange Gamzee indeed.... Feferi feels a little dumb for assuming Gamzee didn’t know, but how was she supposed to know he’d actually gotten more intelligent? Bigger and stronger doesn’t always mean better and smarter.  
“I guess we all already know your names. Gamzee spoke of you all quite often so we have all of you basically memorized.” Marsho says. Persha puts her free hand on her hip which she sticks out a little, balancing her weight on one leg.  
“Yep. Now what Gam?”  
“wAIT WAIT WAIT. sO YOU GUYS REALLY AREN’T LIKE..... DISGUSTED TO SEE US OR ANYTHING?” Tavros looks at the painted trolls and all of them sorta shrug.  
“We’ve seen you many times running around the city in brief flashes of time rips.”  
“T1M3 R1PS? >:?? 3XPL41N.”  
“I ThInK I /sOrTa/ DiD EaRlIeR. bUt bEcAuSe i wAs tRaVeLiNg tHrOuGh tImE So gOd dAmN MuCh tHaT ThE ReAlItIeS Of tHe wOrLd yOu wErE In aNd tHiS WoRlD WeRe sTaRtInG To mEsH ToGeThEr aNd sTuFf tOgEtHeR. sO ThRoUgH OcCaSiOnAl rIpS, wE'D SpOt yOu rUnNiNg aRoUnD ThE ArEa. I ThInK If i tRaVeL AnD TeAr tImE AnYmOrE ThAn i hAvE..... yA'Ll mIgHt jUsT PoP ThRoUgH ThE RiPs aNd tHaT'D FuCk tHiNgS Up aNyMoRe..... So wE GoTtA MaKe tHeSe tImEs cOuNt, Ya dIg mOtHeRfUcKeRs?” Gamzee looks at Terezi and points a finger at him and she swats at it playfully.  
“We’ll have to teach them everything all over again though Gamzee. It’ll be such a pain in the fucking ass.” Persha folds one of her arms under the one that’s holding Marsho’s hand.  
“Well.... Persha we’ve had to teach many trolls the ropes. I’m sure we can do it again.” Marsho looks at her and smiles a little. Persha makes the smallest of purple blushes and looks to the side.  
“I guess, it’s just won’t it be a hassle?” Gamzee raises his hand a little and waves up and down at them.  
“Ey yO, wE WoN'T HaVe tO TeAcH ThEsE GuYs nOtHiN'.” Grooga looks at Gamzee questioningly and raises his low voice.  
“What does that mean?”  
“GrOoG My bRoThEr i wOuLdN'Ta bRoUgHt 'Em hErE If i dIdN'T ThInK WiTh mY PaN ThAt tHeY WeRe aLl uP AnD ReAdY FoR ThIs sHiT StOrM. tRuSt mE On tHiS OnE. i kNoW Ya'lL CaN WoRk tOgEtHeR. sEe mY MuLtIcOlOrEd mOhErFuCkIn bEsT FrIeNdS, aLl yA'Ll gOtTa dO WiTh mY PuRpLe bRoS AnD SiStErS Is tRuSt iN ThEm cOmPlEtElY.” Gamzee says this as if it’s quite obvious. But Vriska is very unconvinced.  
“Gamzee that doesn't tell us a god damn thing. How can we just automatically trust them? I mean yeah sure I get that they have 8een the ones training with you and shit for all this time 8ut we haven't and that makes me worried. And I don't really get worried if you remem8er right. You gotta give us a little more than that. We're not going in 8lind god dammit...”  
Gamzee folds his large muscular, yet long and scrawny if that makes a lick of sense... He nods and puts his hands on his knees, then streeetches.  
“My cErUlEaN SiStEr i hEaR Ya. I'Ll gIvE YoU A LiTtLe iNsIgHt tHeN On wHaT We lEaRnEd aNd wHaT We tEaCh. SoUnD LiKe a dEaL?”  
“Gamzee,” Kloshe interjects.  
“I think we should just do what we normally do. Begin the demonstration and slowly enter the new players one by one so it can be understood exactly what we need from them.”  
“ExAcTlY WhAt i wAs tHiNkInG KlOsHe mY MaN. aToRi, SoUnD GoOd?” The rainbow trolls nearly forgot Atori was even in the area. He’s so quiet and he stands away from the group, observing the lot of them, probably contemplaing how things would work out. Learning personalities and everyones smallest quirks and movements and clinging to every word for analysis.   
Atori stands up straight from the back of the stage and nods.  
“Yeah sounds good. I already have the order I want them to enter in.”  
“CHRIST I FORGOT THAT GUY WAS THERE.... SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME.”  
“AiN'T No tImE FoR ThAt bEsT FrIeNd. GoTtA KeEp yOuR ShIt iN TaCt yA HeAr? AlRiGhT AtOrI LiSt uS OfF.”  
The purple trolls all seem to shift, both in body language, stance auras. Tavros looks at this group of trolls and can tell they’re very well trained.... He wonders what is going to happen. He’s actually pretty excited. Tav and the others finally get to spar with Gamzee after all these sweeps.... With Gamzee and the ones he seems to trust most in this world....  
Tavros thinks first and foremost in his mind that he won’t let these people one up him. He’s going to prove that he’s good enough to be in their ranks and maybe even better. He’s know Gamzee longer dammit and he’s gonna show them how this shit is done.  
Equius looks down a little at Tavros and sees his slowly growing determined sneer and smirks himself. He can feel everyone in his group slowly get more hyped, ready to prove themselves no less than the juggalos.  
Gamzee makes the most familiar ugly grin with his large sharp teeth behind those painted pointed lips of his  
“First, Grooga, Persha, Reznia.”  
The three jump up and away from each other. They all make eye contact and seem to evaluate the situation, just like every time they spar. Tavros is amazed at their speed for being so tall. He watches them make eye contact, and sees the ways their bodies move according to their facial expressions.  
Persha goes to attack Reznia by jumping off the wall and heading straight up to her. Reznia grabs her fist and throws her down at Grooga, who ducks and backflips to swing his leg at Persha.  
“Tieono!” Atori calls. Tieono is quick to dash in and pushes Persha out of the way and grabs Grooga’s leg and trips him, making him land on his face. Reznia crashes her feet into the stage and headbutts Tieono grabs her hair and yanks it down so he can kick her in the face. Persha kicks Tieono in the head, then with the other leg kicks Reznia in the teeth, but Grooga grabs Persha before she can do more damage, and swings her down.  
“Marsho.” Atori says. Marsho bursts in there faster than anyone and frog hops over Tieono and slides on the ground, grabbing Persha before she is slammed into the ground. Persha uses the momentum to kick Grooga in the crotch with a smirk.  
Chebur giggles on the sidelines and shakes her head a little.  
“Pentalty!” She calls out. Kanaya just watches in awe.  
“Miss Chebur...”  
“Just Chebur is alright.”  
“A-Ah Yes.... This Is How You All Train? Isn’t It Quite Violent?”  
“Quite violent??? How else are we supposed to toughen our skin? We’ve all broken bones and lost teeth because of this. But if it happens often enough, we stop noticing when it does happen so we can keep fighting. That is the reason for our existance in this time I feel. To aid our Grand Highblood in his goal and dream. His dream to have you all together as a group.”  
“When You Say It Like That....”  
“It sounds selfish. But you should all be happy that he thinks of you as more important to him than even an entire world. He’s watched the deaths of the only people he truly cares about so many times. If he’d done that for any of us.... I’m sure he could replace our love for the messaiah’s. Gamzee is very important to us.... he’s taught us many things.... told us how lowbloods and highbloods are all the same... how the colors don’t matter. He’s told us of your journeys, how you all met your ancestors and hwo each of you learned something special about them and about yourselves and each other.... He told us how he grew up along, his lusus always away from him.... how you all were the only ones that made him feel alive and happy. We used to say in our naivite, ‘surely you don’t need all of them, especially the mustard boy’ and he would get mad at us and tell us ‘his name is sollux you fuckers.’” Chebur smiles a little and nods. Kanaya bites her black lip a little bit... She feels terrible for ever thinking lowly of Gamzee....  
“He told us about how all he wanted to do on that meteor was keep everyone together and happy, and when our highblood at the time attacked you all and killed many of you, he said he could feel his old lonely angry self coming back.”  
Kanaya doesn’t recall any of thsi since she was killed towards the beginning of that clusterfuckery. Hearing that Gamzee was really so upset his friends were dying....  
“And he explained all about that planet of dead rolls to us.... how he and Karkat were taken and how he couldn’t controll himself anymore without anything to sustain his at the time quite fragile and unstable mind... He said he remembers the exact moment when things went seriously wrong.... he thought Karkat had brushed him off and told him he was crazy..... Gamzee says now that because of his own instability, such tragety had to happen.”  
“It Wasn’t His Fault... But It Wasn’t Karkat’s Fault Either...... It Was No One’s Fault....”  
“At first we all real blamed the candy boy.” Chebur looks over at Karkat who’s watching the sparring going on intensely and then back to Kanaya.  
“But Gamzee insisted he was the one who couldn’t control himself. He says he doesn’t remember all of what happened after that.... he was screaming at himself and killing anything in his path. And when Kurloz dropped back down and took Gamzee under his wing he recalls feeling the imense anger.... but most of all he remembers the pain and torture of sopor training. How his mind was so clouded all he could do was hear voices and feel anger. The highblood had that effect on trolls... And later Gamzee says he remembers drowning and dying when Dualscar had killed him. Gamzee said he saw the messaiah’s for real.... and they told him what was up. He snapped out of it then and plotted to kill the highblood on that planet.... then Her Royal pain in the ass showed up and ruined it all...... he got to this world and thought for sure you were all dead......”  
Kanaya wishes she’d stop talking about all of this. It only makes her feel bad for thinking that there was no way Gamzee gave that much of a fuck about his rainbow group of troll buddies....... but he really had a deep and paiinful understanding......  
“I Can’t Imagine Coming To A World All By Myself..... Thinking The Others Had Died.... That I Wasn’t Worthy Of Living If My Friends Weren’t There With Me.”  
“Kloshe!” Comes Atori’s voice. The old troll jumps in and grabs Marsho by the hair and reminds him to keep it back if he intends on fighting seriously, to which Marsho swings his leg back and kicks at him, but Reznia jumps in and grabs Marsho’s leg, then taking his other leg and swinging him around, slamming him right into Kloshe. The two go flying and Grooga jumps up to dodge the mass of trolls flying at him.  
“Exactly. He was sullen for a long time and I remember how often he cried... He was still so young then. Just a child really. I remember the very first time you all came here.”  
“What? I Thought Thsi Was Our First Time Meeting...” It is YOUR first time meeting us. Many other you’s were here. I’m sure Gamzee told you about the rounds he’s done, rewinding time whenever a single one of you died in the final battle with her majesty.”  
“He Has...”  
“You all are his life. Without you Gamzee feels like he’s nothing. Like he’s alone. Even though he has all of us who love him and will die for him.... Even though we’re all here for him... without having his true friends at his side like the old days...”  
“Chebur!” Atori calls.   
Chebur’s attitude shifts quicker than anything Kanaya has ever seen as she looks towards the battle and jumps in the fray, letting Grooga grab her hands so he can spin her around and throw her up and kick Persha right in the chest.  
Atori looks over at Gamzee.  
“Wanna get in there Gamzee?”  
“I’lL gEt To It My MaN. I wAnNa WaTcH hOw My BuDdIeS dO gOiN iN tHeRe.” Gamzee smiles a little at Atori. Atori rubs his thumb over the tiny skull of Xhione, and then goes back behind the stage and sets it on a make up table that has broken bulbs... then comes back out.  
“Alright then. Let’s see. Any volunteers?”  
Atori stands straight and folds his arms, turning his large body towards the group.  
“SURPR1Z3 US!” Terezi shouts. Atori still doesn’t know how the blind girl can fight, but he then figures her hearing and smelling senses are amazing without such an important sense like seeing to get in their way.  
“Surprise you huh? Alright I’ll surprise you.”  
Karkat looks up at Gamzee.  
“HEY, YOU’RE NOT GOING IN YOU FUCKING LAZY JUGGALO?”  
“No sIr. Ya’Ll aRe gOiN’ In fIrSt. I WaNnA SeE HoW YoUr tRaInInG WeNt. It bEtTeR Be gOoD ShOrTy.” Gamzee smirks down at Karkat and Karkat at first starts to get mad, but he knows that stupid joking smirk of Gamzee’s even after all this time.  
“WHATEVER. WE’LL SHOW YOU.”  
“ReMeMbEr mY PaLe mOtHeRfUcKiN BeSt fRiEnD PrEtEnD ThIs sHiT Is lIfE AnD DeAtH. mY BuDdIeS HeRe wOn't gO EaSy oN YoU. i'm sUrPrIsEd i aIn't sEeN A BoNe bReAkInG Or a tOoTh fLyIn' YeT.”  
“CHRIST.... THAT BAD?’  
“ThAt BaD.” Gamzee nods, his stupid huge hair, slipping over his giant shoulders.  
“Grooga!” Atori shouts, holding up his hand, all five fingers spread out. Grooga knows that that means.   
“Aw sHiT Yo. AiNt gIvIn tHeSe GuYs a cHaNcE HuH?” Gamzee looks at Atori and chuckles a bit. Karkat looks between Gamzee and Atori wondering what the fuck that meant.  
Right on que, Tieono’s shriek is paired with a very ugly snapping sound followed by him crashing into the ground, cracking the hard dry desert floor.  
Everyone looks at Tieono laying there holding his broken arm, head bleeding from crashing into the ground. Then the other juggalos all look over at Reznia who jumps down to Tieono and looks up at the other juggalos and makes the loudest most terrifying screech. It shakes our rainbow trolls to their bones. Seeing Reznia slowly lose her mind is utterly frightening...  
“Wwhat the fuck is goin’ on Gam??” Eridan says angrily. Gamzee just smiles back at him.  
“ReZnIa’s oUr tRuMp cArD Yo. AtOrI AiNt gIvE YoU JaCk sHiT Of a bReAk.”  
“You’re kidding! You wwant us to fight THAT?!” Eridan points to Reznia who is going absolutely nuts on everyone in the group, grabbing hair and scratching. Normally she’d rip limbs completely off bodies, but Gamzee and the others have managed to train her to control most of her crazy rage.  
“That’s the idea fish head. And look at Tieono if you will.” Everyon looks back to the youngest troll and the kids already sitting up, wiping blood off his face with his not broken arm.... and smile back at the group with a thumbs up!  
“He’s... okay?” Feferi said worriedly.   
“Of course he is. If Tieono ever gets hurt and looks immobilized, Reznia loses her shit and when she’s angry she is a fucking BEAST on the battle field. If she weren’t so crazy she could even be one of the strongest trolls of our color in a long time.”  
“H0w.... h0w str0ng is she c0mpared t0 Gamzee? And Kurl0z?”   
Atori looks over at Aradia for a few seconds, then looks at Gamzee.  
“Hm. I don’t want to lie.... but at the same time your heads might all explode.”  
“oH MY GOD IS SHE STRONGER THAN GAMZEE?” Tavros seems shocked by this. His perfect Gamzee weaker than someone with almost no control of their mind?  
“Alllmost.”  
“aLMOST?”   
“Almost. Gamzee’s been able to immobilize her many times.”  
“NoT WiThOuT SoMe fUcKiNg bRuIsEs aNd cUtS AnD BrOkEn sHoUlDeRs tHoUgH.”  
“Are you serious? I can’t imagine.” Equius folds his muscley arms in thought.  
“Then again,” He continues “We havn’t been able to see or gauge your stength Gamzee so it’s a little hard to make a comparison.”  
“Ah i lIkE To kEeP It dOwN. bUt i aIn’T BeTtEr tHaN AnYoNe eQuIbRo, So i dOnT WaNt nOnE Of yA’lL To tHiNk tOo hIgHlY Of mE. bEsIdEs, EvErYoNe hErE HaS ThEiR OwN StReNgTh, PhYsIcAlLy aNd mEnTaLlY HoNeStLy.”  
“Yeah?” Vriska says, putting one hand on her popped out hip. “Like what?”  
“LiKe wHaT ShE SaYs.” Gamzee says to Atori. Atori chuckles.  
“LiKe wHaT. wElL VrIs sIs lEt mE LaY It oN Ya.  
KlOsHe, My oLd mAn mEnToR BrO GuY ThErE WiThOuT AnY HaIr oN HiS HeAd? He's a wIsE MoThErFuCkEr. He's bEeN HeRe tHe lOnGeSt oUtTa eVeRyOnE AnD HiS AdViCe iS To bE TaKeN GoD DaMn sErIoUsLy. I WoUlDa lOsT My fUcKiN' mInD If hE DiDn't hElP Me oUt sO MuCh aNd tAlK Me tHrOuGh tHiNgS.”  
Kloshe dives away from Reznia as she jumps for him, then trips her up and finally backflips away from her again when she swings at him. Yet when he flips he’s very aware of Persha’s presense and spins his body like a damn breakdancer and kicks her away.  
“GrOoGa, My mUsClE MaN WhO DoN'T SaY A ToN HaS SoMe cRaZy sTrEnGtH In tHoSe aRmS AnD LeGs. He's sOrTa lIkE YoU EqUiUs wItH YoUr sTrOnGnEsS AnD ShIt. BuT He's aLsO StRoNg iN HiS PaN WhErE He tHiNkS HaRd aBoUt eVeRy mOvE He mAkEs aNd iF It'lL BeNeFiT AnYtHiNg hE'S WoRkInG ToWaRdS.”  
The muscular troll digs the back of his foot into the hard broken dry sand and thrusts his arm up, focusing not on hitting the target, but going THROUGH the target. That target being Chebur. Chebur however gracefully manages to twist her body away from the punch, rolling along side his muscular arm and then grabs it with her danty looking hand and kicks back, yanking the limb out of it’s socket and then flipping away without a sound.  
“ChEbUr iS LiKe tHe fUcKiNg wInD Yo. ShE'S QuIeT WhEn sHe fIgHtS. sHe dOn't mAkE AnY NoIsEs wItH HeR MoUtH Or wItH HeR FeEt wHeN ShE RuNs. ThE OnLy sOuNd tHaT HaPpEnS Is wHeN ShE PuNcHeS YoU AnD YoUr tEeTh cLaCk tOgEtHeR. cHeBbY Is gRaCeFuL As fUcK AnD ShE'S SwIfT. oNe oF HeR FaVoRiTe tHiNgS To dO Is gO So fAsT ThAt iT LoOkS LiKe tHeRe's a lOt oF HeR AnD ThEn pUnChInG KiCkInG AnD PuLlIn' YoUr hAiR WhIlE YoU FrEaK OuT AnD FlAiL ArOuNd tO TrY AnD CaTcH HeR.”  
“Why doesn’t she use it all the time?” Feferi doesn’t want to look away from the fight. It’s so interesting to see everyone move so easily with each other...  
“BeCaUsE FeF It tAkEs a lOt oUt oF HeR. sHe uSeS HeR OwN BoDy tO ChAnNeL ThE VoOdOo sHiT AnD SoMeTiMeS ShE LeTs aNy sPiRiTs sHe cAn fInD ThAt aRe aNgRy eNoUgH To jUsT TaKe oVeR HeR BoDy aNd gO ApE ShIt. BuT ShE CaN Do sO MuCh mOrE ThAt i cAn't eVeN ReMeMbEr aLl oF. sHe iS A BoSs fOr sUrE.”  
“Oh gosh. so that’s gotta make her super tired right? Does she stay more towards the back during battle then?”  
“OnLy wHeN ShE DoEs tHe cHuCkLe vOoDoO YeAh. BuT OtHeRwIsE ShE'S RiGhT Up fRoNt. NoW SeE, mArShO Is tHe oNe wHo uSuAlLy sTaYs iN ThE BaCk. He's oUr sTeAlTh gUy. He hAnGs bAcK A LoT AnD WhEn hE SeEs aN EaSy oPeNiNg hE GoEs fOr iT AnD TeArS RiGhT InTo iT. iT AiN'T FaIr, BuT We dIdN'T LeArN To bEaT ThE FuCk oUt aNyOnE FaIrLy. EsPeCiAlLy iF YoU WaNnA KiLl wHoEvEr yOu'rE GoIn' FoR. yA GeT In tHeRe, RiP ThEiR FuCkInG StOmAcH OuT Of tHeIr aSsHoLe tHeN YoU Go iN ThErE AnD RiP ThEiR FuCkInG StOmAcH OuTtA ThEiR AsShOlE.”  
“I’d.... honestly rather not see any asshole tearing...” Eridan says while making a sick face. He’s sure that these guys have done stuff like humiliating the other lots of times.... gross.  
“Aw mAn tHaT'S ThE BeSt pArT ThOuGh.”  
Marsho jumps back and lands on the ground next to Tieono to make sure his arm is actually okay.  
“Does it hurt much?” He says worriedly.  
“I’m okay! Thanks for being concerned though.” Tieono smiles at Marsho and nods. Marsho makes a small smile back at him.  
“So Mar, any openin’s at all?”  
“I can’t see many. Reznia’s defense are low, but I’d rather keep my limbs unbroken for now. You know how hard it is to find a good spot when we train together all the time for 40 sweeps.”  
“Yeah true. But you know what I noticed, Grooga keeps looking over at Persha. See if you can’t get a spot on his right side when he looks over at her.”  
“Yeah? She is being especially squirlly today. Don’t get in my way.” Marsho finally lets out a playful grin at Tieono who mirrors the look.  
“I’m gonna get in your way so hard core bro.”  
“Better watch your blind spot.”  
“I ain’t got no fuckin’ blind spot.” The two jump away from each other and then get back into battle.  
Atori continues for Gamzee.  
“Persha, even though she’s pretty hot headed and a rude bitch, she’s flexable and is able to twist ridiculously to get out of any situation. And while she might not be the strongest of this group, she can fit nearly anywhere like a damn cat. That and when we throw her around she goes faster and pierces harder with her crazy pointed nails.”  
“SHE CAN PIERCE SHIT WITH HER NAILS? LIKE A NAIL ARE YOU SERIOUS?”  
“If mE, gRoOg, Or eQ HeRe wErE To tHrOw hEr tHeN HeLl yEaH.”  
“We don’t need to explain much about Reznia. She’s amazingly strong and unpredictable when she goes into a serious rage. But at the same time when she’s not fighting, she’s very gentle. But I’m pretty sure that only applies if she trusts you a lot. Something you’ll all have to earn..... When you do earn her trust, then she becomes probably THEE most loyal troll here. Of course Tieono is her absolute priority and she hardly lets him have any time to himself, the poor kid.” Atori chuckles a little.  
“Tieono even comes before the messaiah’s on her list.”  
“YeP. tIeOnO, mEsSaIaH’S AnD ThEn mE.”  
“WOW. TH1RD 1N L1N3? TH4T’S PR3TTY FUNNY.~” Terezi snickers a little, glad to hear that Gamzee isn’t always the top dog around here.  
“Eh iT'S FiNe wItH Me. If sHe cAn fInD SoMeThInG AnD SoMeOnE To kEeP HeR MiNd oUt oF HeR CrAzInEsS ThEn bY GoD I DoN'T GiVe a fUcK WhAt pLaCe lIl oLd mE Is iN.”  
“Your grammar is awful Gamzee..... That certainly hasn’t changed..... it’s ‘i dont give a foop what place i’m in.’”  
“GrAmMaR ShMaMmAr.” Gamzee waves Equius off and Equius just rubs his eyes a little. Gamzee’s type of language has always bothered Equius to no end, seeing as how it’s VERY unbecoming of a highblood to have such AWFUL grammar and speech patterns.... However it would also be very unlike Gamzee to speak normally and to be honest it would seriously weird him out if Gam talked like a normal troll....  
“AnYwHo, LiTtLe tIeOnO LiKeS To pReTeNd hE'S An aVeRaGe lItTlE BrAt aSs tRoLl. BuT HaViNg rEzNiA As a mOiRaIl aNd fRiEnDs lIkE Us hE'S MaNaGeD To gAiN AlL Of oUr sKiLlS, iNcLuDiNg tHe pOwErS Of cHuCkLe vOoDoO. tHe kIdS A SpOnGe. AtOrI AnD ThE OtHeRs hAd aLrEaDy sTaRtEd oUt oN TrAiNiNg hIm aNd dOiN' tHe sOpOr sLiMe tRaInInG WhEn hE WaS ReAlLy yOuNg, BeFoRe i eVeN GoT HeRe. ThErE IsN'T A DaMn tHiNg tHaT GeTs pAsT HiM WhEn iT CoMeS To lEaRnInG StUfF.”  
“I’M NOT LITTLE ANYMORE GAMZEE YOU HULKING PIECE OF SHIT!!!” Tieono calls to Gamzee playfully while he swings around and cartwheels right down Chebur’s back after she goes to tackle him.  
“WhErE DiD My lIl t gO HuH?! He nEvEr wOuLdA TaLkEd sMaCk lIkE ThAt yO! i mIsS My /lItTlE/ TiEoNo!” Gamzee fake sobs until Tieono swings down and tackle hugs Gamzee around his neck, swings behind Gamzee, using him as a human shield for Grooga’s fist, which connects to Gamzees ribs, breaking a few.   
Gamzee quickly retaliates by grabbing Grooga’s head and SLAMMING it into the stage’s wodden floor, cracking it. Aradia steps back a few feet with the others and covers her mouth. Oh christ, she felt the crash go through the boards, up her legs and to her spine and shake her ribcage around with the intensity and power..... Even though Gamzee hadn’t technically been put into the fight it looks like his instincts overpower thought.  
“WhOoPs. SoRrY GrOo bRo. YoU BrOkE LiKe tHrEe rIbS YoU PiEcE Of cRaP.” Gam squishes Grooga’s head into the ground a little. He looks up along with his friends and sees the juggalo trolls all together jumping at the stage.  
The entire rainbow group jumps back quickly while the line of purple bloods land and then jump up to chase them. A massive fight breaks out between all the trolls, taking up the entirity of the tent. It seems to be team juggalo vs team rainbow.  
It’s soon obvious that everyone is nearly evenly matched. Although team juggalo seems to be winning out since most of the blood is coming from team rainbow....  
Even so, Gamzee manages to slip away from the fight, his bulky figure disappearing midair and then landing on the ground at the entrance of the tent. No one notices since they’re all so caught up in their own sparring matches.  
“HoT DaMn... I ThInK We hAvE A PrEtTy gOoD ChAnCe tHiS TiMe...” Gamzee says to himself. He watches everyone individually to see how everyone moves and to see if they can take the heat from his juggalo partners. Even Atori has joined in on the fight.  
He notices Feferi is pretty damn good with her crazy trident, swinging it around and spinning it and thrusting it forward, not scared to draw a little blood from her opponents. Eridan doesn’t even use his gun, he’s pretty strong without it. He even manages to keep the majority of his suit unscathed, free of blood, scuffs or tears. His rings however arew quite bloody from punching Persha repeatedly in the face at one point.  
Equius and Grooga seem to be locked in on each other most of the time, punching each other and using their muscles and size to compete with each other. He has yet to touch his bow.  
Nepeta and Vriska have teamed together to take on Chebur, and while Vriska hasn’t used her guns, she’s started to use her sword to defend herself, teaming up with Nepta who is using her new claws which tear at flesh nicely. It doesn’t cut clean at all either, oh no no no, it makes jagged ugly gashes that make it harder to heal.  
Kanaya has decided to team up with Tavros against Marsho. The two swing and stab at Marsho, but he’s rather swift, getting a few hits on the two opposing trolls. However he’s not gotten by without some nasty stab wounds and slashes on his arms. Karkat, Aradia and Terezi have all teamed up to take on Tieono and Reznia who’ve teamed up themselves. Aradia uses her whip to wrap around Reznia’s arms, but Reznia is quite strong and she simply pulls Aradia towards her and goes to punch her, but Karkat jumps in and headbutts Reznia!! Gamzee can’t help but gasp and yell “OoOoOoOoH!!” into his hand. Terezi swoops up and trips Tieono, but the kid doesn’t go down so easily, wrapping his legs around Terezi and spinning her in the air then slamming her headfirst into the ground. Aradia, now free from Reznia’s grip flicks her spiked whip around Tieono’s neck.   
“Stay back Reznia 0r I’ll be f0rced t0 d0 the unthinkable!”   
Gamzees eyebrows go up, happy to finally see someone use Tieono as a hostage. Reznia stands still, stillready to pounce. But she sees Tieono pretending to be a helpless wriggler. He’s pretty interested to see how she responds to this as well. Karkat and Terezi jump beside Aradia putting all of their weapons to his neck. Surely now if this were a true life or death situation Tieono would be dead were Reznia to advance a single inch. Tieono looks at Reznia and whines for help.  
“Ah Reznia they got me!”  
“You IDIOT how could you get caught so easily!?”  
“It isn’t my faaaault! They’re fast! Just do something before they chop my head off!”  
“Stupid if I MOVE then they chop your head off!”  
“Then THINK OF SOMETHING!” Tieono knows the girls and Karkat won’t really kill him, so he’s having a little fun with it. Even though he’s acting far younger than he should be, he doesn’t give a single fuck about any of that. It’s never even crossed his mind.  
Reznia thinks hard and then just stands up straight... and folds her arms.  
“Are y0u really n0t g0ing t0 d0 anything ab0ut this?” Aradia questions warily.  
“I don’t need to.”  
“HUH?” Karkat squints at her a little until he realizes Reznia is looking past them. He looks behind himself quickly and Kloshe bursts in, crashing himself into Aradia and Terezi and Karkat in a domino failure. Tieono is freed and he jumps away behind reznia.  
“Jeez what if they were actually enemies and we were alone without any help Rez?” Tieono puffs his cheeks out and stomps his food a few times on the ground. Reznia just rolls her eyes.  
“It doesn’t matter.”  
“it’ll sure matter if it happens again! Then what?”  
“Well then I’m sure you can survive for a while with a slit throat.”  
“WHAT?!!?” Reznia lets the absolute tiniest smile deform her face. The two go back into battle.  
After a long time, everyone starts to lose stamina and just start to sit down and calling uncle. All eighteen of them plop down somewhere or other and just catch their breath.  
Atori is even out of breath.  
“Hey G-Gamzee you fucking cheater, you fought for like one minute then bailed!”  
“Don’t bother Atori, you know Gamzee would wipe us all out with his stupid overpowered ass.” Persha chimes in tirdly. Gamzee just walks up and laughs a little and claps.  
“ThAt wAs a gOoD MoThErFuCkIn sHoW Ya'lL. eVeRyOnE DiD FuCkInG AwEsOmE!”  
“wERE WE....” Tavros starts....  
“wERE WE ANY BETTER THAN THE OTHER TIMES THIS HAPPENED?”  
“AcTuAlLy yEaH TaV. yOu aLl dId pReTtY DaMn gOoD! i sAw a bIg dIfFeReNcE. i /KnEw/ LeTtInG YoU GuYs tRaIn fOr aLl tHoSe sWeEpS WoUlD Be a gOoD IdEa.”  
Gamzee smiles at Tavros and Tav smiles back widely.  
“Hey Gamzee! Now that my arm is broken, am I gonna be a liability?”  
“NaH YoU'Ll hEaL Up iN A FeW HoUrS YoU DiNgUs yOu kNoW ThAt.”  
“Awwww, I wanted you to fawn over me like a lusus.”  
“You fucking weirdo.” Reznia grunts. She’s lying on her stomach on the stage, arms at her side.  
“I’m not a weirdo I just want TLC from someone other than you for once.”  
“Is my TLC not good enough you fucking brat?”  
“Aw don’t be that way Rez you know we’re pale for life.”  
“Yeah yeah whatever you say.”  
“Aw what?! What’s that mean?” Tieono rolls over to her then plops himself sitting on Reznia’s back.  
“Don’t you cuddle up to me after saying my TLC ain’t good enough for you. Hmph.” Reznia looks forward, chin on the ground in a very pouty potision, putting her arms up and then folding them under her chin.  
“Aw Rezniaaa! Gamzee heeeelp!”  
“NoThIn' DoIn' BrO, yOu dUn fUcKeD Up.”  
“NOOOOOO Come oooonn!”  
“I LEARNED A LONG TIME AGO THAT SAYING CERTAIN THINGS CAN ACTUALLY REALLY FUCK UP A MOIRAILEGANCE.” Karkat pitches in. Gamzee looks over at him and so does Atori..... Tieono lays down on top of Reznia, which is ALMOST inappropriate looking since he’s on her back. But neither of them seem to feel awkward about it. Nepeta knows how that is!~  
“Huh? You know about it Karkat? Like what? Who is your moirail?”  
“WELL..... BEFORE WE MET YOU GUYS I WAS GAMZEE’S MOIRAIL. IT’S A LONG STORY I’M SURE GAMZEE’S TOLD YOU BEFORE. I SAID SOMETHING REALLY STUPID TO GAMZEE WHEN HE NEEDED ME MOST AND I FUCKED IT UP BIG TIME.”  
“KaR I KnOw wE HaVeN'T BeEn aBlE To tAlK AbOuT WhAt hApPeNeD On tHaT PlAnEt, YoU BeTtEr fIgUrE OuT ThAt i dOn't bLaMe yOu fOr aNy oF ThAt sHiT YoU HeAr?”  
“I DON’T NEED /YOU/ TO BLAME ME, I ALREADY BLAME MYSELF. IF I JUST LISTENED TO YOU THEN MAYBE NONE OF THAT STUFF WOULDA HAPPENED.”  
“BrO I WaS AlReAdY On tHe eDgE. i bEt yA TeN ThOuSaNd bOoN DoLlArS ThAt i wOuLdA FaLlEn oFf mY RoCkEr eVeNtUaLlY WhIlE We wErE ThErE AnD ShIt wOuLdA GoNe dOwN ThE SaMe eXaCt wAy. ArAdIa sIs hElP Me oUt hErE. yOu wEnT ThRoUgH SoMe lOoPs oF ThAt tImE ThEn tOo rIgHt?”  
“0h uh, yeah I went thr0ugh quiiiiite a few trips. And I’ve already t0ld Karkat that even if he didn’t say what he did that things still w0uld have taken the same turns. Karkat just insists 0n being Karkat y0u kn0w.”  
Aradia is lying on her back catching her breath as she looks over at the boys. Even though they’re older and bigger than before, she still sees the two smaller boys having pale problems and beating themselves up over every little detail. It makes her smile to see them together again. Especially to discuss things. Everything had happened so fast. Gamzee came back to them and told them he’d been alright for a little while at that point... then he disappeared into the water wall until now....  
“WELL EVEN SO IT STILL MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A BULGE SNIFFER FOR HAVING SAID ANYTHING AT ALL LIKE THAT. I FUCKED UP AND I WANNA SAY I’M SORRY.”  
“HeY IsN'T YoUr jOb tO PaP Me? It aIn't tHe oThEr wAy aRoUnD MoThErFuCkEr. BuT If i pReTeNd tO AcCePt tHiS UnNeEdEd aPoLoGy wIlL YoU GeT OvEr iT?”  
“GET OVER IT??? GAMZEE THAT HAS BEEN PLAUGING ME ALMOST EVERY DAY FOR THREE SWEEPS MAN, I CAN’T JUST GET OVER IT!”  
“Wow,” Tieono mumbles mostly to himself.  
“You two really DO have pale problems. If there were such thing as being an aucpitise between pale bros then I’d so be it! But since that isn’t gonna happen I’m just gonna interject if that’s chill. Karkat I get that calling Gamzee crazy and then Gamzee going actually crazy makes you feel bad. And Gamzee’s told us that you’re a super self loathing type of guy and I get that too. Gamzee I’m sure it’s hard for you to not really get Karkat’s feelings right now because you’ve had 40 sweeps of being over it. And you never really blamed him in the first place.”  
“What the little shit is TRYING to get at is you both need to put stupid shit behind you, get over it and move on. Lingering on and clinging to bad memories like that isn’t gonna make it better or change what’s happened. This is now and thinking back on stuff like that isn’t gonna do a FUCKS worth of good. You both just talked about it and it’s out in the open and now it should be done with.” Reznia sits up after pushing Tieono off of her back and then sits crosslegged, hunching down a lot. She has awful posture everyone can’t help but notice.   
Gamzee looks at Karkat and then reaches over with his long arm, grabs Karkat’s arm and drags him over to sit by him and pats his shoulder.  
“ThInK YoU CaN AgReE WiTh tHaT KaRbRo? My pAlE MoThErFuCkEr?”  
“Y....YEAH WHATEVER.” Karkat’s way of saying yes without directly telling the others that they are 100% right.  
Gamzee pulls Karkat close with one arm and gives him a tight hug to which Karkat struggles against at first. But of course Gamzee is bigger and stronger than Karkat, so the candyblooded troll gives in and gives him a small hug.  
“Now Gamzee..... when is all 0f.... THIS g0ing t0 g0 d0wn?”  
“In tWo dAyS. tWo dAyS AnD ShIt gEtS ReAl fOr tHiS RoUnD. bUt lIsTeN Yo, I'M HeLlA OpTiMiStIc aBoUt tHiS.”  
“That so? How come?” Nepeta sits back on her legs and takes off her claw gloves and hooks them to the sides of her belts.  
“Are we just sepecially pawsome this time around?~” She asks with a big smile.  
“ThAt's rIgHt sIs. ThIs tImE Is lOoKiN' gOoD. i tHiNk wE'Ll gEt fArThEr tHaN We eVeR HaVe. I ThInK..... tHiS MiGhT EvEn bE ThE TiMe.”

()

TBC


	15. 15

LAST TIME  
()  
“Now Gamzee..... when is all 0f.... THIS g0ing t0 g0 d0wn?”  
“In tWo dAyS. tWo dAyS AnD ShIt gEtS ReAl fOr tHiS RoUnD. bUt lIsTeN Yo, I'M HeLlA OpTiMiStIc aBoUt tHiS.”  
“That so? How come?” Nepeta sits back on her legs and takes off her claw gloves and hooks them to the sides of her belts.  
“Are we just especially pawsome this time around?~” She asks with a big smile.  
“ThAt's rIgHt sIs. ThIs tImE Is lOoKiN' gOoD. i tHiNk wE'Ll gEt fArThEr tHaN We eVeR HaVe. I ThInK..... tHiS MiGhT EvEn bE ThE TiMe.”  
()  
The night comes and most everyone is asleep. Everyone sleeps together and a lot of trolls talk long into the darkness of the tent.  
Gamzee though has gone off into the next tent over and sits on his throne, the skull of his predecessor. Because he knows what happens next. It’s happened the last 30 rounds of this bullshit, so he’s prepared. He knows his lines and so he waits. He knows his night will be long. But it’s okay. Because this is for his friends.  
Right on time, the curtain leading into Gamzee’s throne room opens harshly, a seemingly angry Eridan walking up to him.  
“Gam. Wwe gotta talk.”  
“ThAt sO BrO? lAy iT On mE MoThErFuCkEr.”   
Eridan stands there quietly for a while... Like he knew he wanted to talk about something but hadn’t prepared any dialog for the occasion.  
“You aren’t lying are you?”  
“LyInG? aBoUt wHaT? wHy tHe fUcK WoUlD I LiE AbOuT AnYtHiNg?”  
“Don’t you fuckin’ toy wwith me Gam you stupid fucker.” Eridan bares his teeth and takes several steps towards Gamzee.  
“You fuckin’ KNOWW wwhat I’m talkin’ about. Are wwe really gonna see Sollux again? Are wwe really gonna savve him!? Because if you’re lyin’ and you make Feferi upset because you’re lyin’.... I wwill fucking destroy you.” Gamzee can almost feel the fire from his friends words.   
“ErIdAn mY BrO. tAkE A DeEp bReAtH. i kNoW HoW YoU FeEl. I GeT ThAt yOu wAnNa pRoTeCt fEfErI'S FeElInGs aNd hEr rEd fEeLiNgS, bUt i pRoMiSe i wOuLdN'T Be dOiN' tHiS ShIt iF I DiDn't pLaN On gEtTiNg sOl bRo bAcK. aIn't nO SeCrEtS AnD AiN'T No pLaNs. ThInGs aRe gOnNa gO ThE SaMe wAy tHeY HaVe, BuT ThIs tImE Is gOnNa bE It mAn. I CaN FeEl tHiS ShIt.”  
Eridan is silent and he grabs his rifle from his strap holder in the back and points it directly at Gamzee’s face.  
“You knoww I ain’t afraid to use this you horn fucker.”  
“DiD YoU FoRgEt wHo mAdE ThAt aNd gAvE It tO YoU? lIsTeN BrO, kIlLiNg mE WoUlDn't sErVe aNy kInD Of pUrPoSe. We'rE GoNnA GeT SoLlUx bAcK. aNd fEf aNd aLl oF Us wIlL HaVe hIm bAcK. yOu kNoW..... mAnY TiMeS BeFoRe tHiS A LoNg tImE AgO, yOu sAcRiFiCeD YoUrSeLf tO PrOtEcT FeFeRi. To pRoTeCt eVeRyOnE. i kNoW WhErE YoUr hEaRt iS MaN. i kNoW YoU'Re rEd fOr hEr—“  
“Don’t FUCKING say that Gamzee.... I’ve spent swweeps tryin’ to get ovver her and you god damn KNOWW that. Do you knoww how damn hard it wwas to livve wwith her and train wwith her and reassure Feferi that she wwould be back together wwith Sollux? I KNOWW she doesn’t feel the same wway and I knoww dwwellin’ on it ain’t gonna make thinks wwork in my favvor.”   
Eridan gets louder as he speaks.   
“Don’t you EVVEN mention that shit in front of me. If Sollux is wwhat makes her fuckin’ happy then Sollux is wwhat she’s gonna get, do you fuckin’ understand me?!”   
It’s quiet in the tent save for Eridan trying his best to control his angry breath.  
“Are. Wwe. Gettin’. Him. Back.....” He growls through his sharp teeth and glares up at Gamzee with his piercing purple eyes... And Gamzee just looks down at him.  
“YeS. wE ArE.”  
“I wwonder howw many times you said that to us before just so wwe wwould fight.”  
“A FeW TiMeS. iF YoU DiDn't fIgHt tHeN We wOuLdN'T GeT AnYwHeRe.”  
“Gamzee Makara you are the biggest piece of shit I can possibly imagine. I wwould nevver let this time travveling shit go so fucking far.... You’re fucking wwith time and fate... Evven if it is to get us all back together. You’re gonna fucking destroy us Gam.... Howw can you not understand that?!”  
Gamzee stays quiet and doesn’t answer Eridan for a long time. Long enough that Eridan just scoffs and starts to walk out of the tent. He stops just before closing the curtain behind him.  
“Gam...... I’m only here...... for Feferi and Sollux..... So please. Please don’t make her sad...” Eridan leaves and silence takes over the tent again.  
Gamzee sighs a little and rubs his eyes and temples. He hates that part of the runs... but it’s necessary every single time.  
But... this is one of his favorite times.  
The tent opens up again a few minutes later and there is Karkat.  
“GAMZEE... WHAT WAS ERIDAN’S TRIP?”  
“Oh yOu kNoW HiM. wOrRiEd iF I'M LyIn' AnD NoT BeLiEvInG Me. I GeT ThAt... It sTiLl sUcKs tHoUgH. wHaT Do yOu tHiNk aBoUt aLl oF ThIs kAr bRo?”  
Karkat stands there for a second, a little nervous to approach his old friend.... But it IS Gamzee after all. So he advances and stands directly in front of him. Gamzee smiles at him.  
“YoUr eYeS ArE ReAlLy rEd bRo. I'M GlAd wE BoTh gOt tO LiVe lOnG EnOuGh tO SeE ThE DaY WhEn tHeY TuRn rEd. I UsEd tO GeT NeRvOuS ThAt yOu'd lEaVe mE BeFoRe i cOuLd sEe tHeM.”  
“YEAH IT’S A LITTLE WEIRD... BUT YOU ASKED WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. I THINK.... THAT YOU’RE DOING THE RIGHT THING HONESTLY. I THINK THE TWELVE OF US WERE MADE FOR A TIME LIKE THIS. I THINK ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING FOR A REASON. FOR A FUTURE WE CAN ALL BE HAPPY IN.... FOR A FUTURE WHERE THAT CRAZY BITCH ISN’T RUINING EVERYONES LIVES. A TIME WHERE SOMEONE LIKE ME.... A MUTANT, WON’T BE HATED AND FEARED BECAUSE OF THIS COLOR. A TIME WHERE ALL OF US CAN BE TOGETHER AGAIN. I DON’T EVEN FUCKING CARE IF SOME PEOPLE THINK IT’S SELFISH. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU’RE DOING THIS FOR THE GREATER GOOD.” Karkat looks at his feet a little while he speaks.... then looks up at Gamzee.  
“YOU’VE WORKED SO HARD FOR SO LONG.... WHEN YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO FUCKING DO ANY OF THIS. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO TRY SO HARD. YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO WORK FOR SO LONG AND GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS BY YOURSELF... BUT YOU FUCKING DID. FOR US. FOR ALL OF US. AND I APPRICIATE IT SO MUCH...” He swallows hard and Gamzee just smiles softly. Gam reaches forward and takes Karkat’s arm with his big hand and pulls him forward onto his lap and hugs him.  
“Ey, IsN'T ThIs yOuR JoB?”  
“SHUT UP.” Karkat finds it in himself to smile and hug Gamzee back.  
“JESUS CHRIST DID YOU NEVER CUT YOUR HAIR?”  
“WhY ThE HeLl wOuLd i dO ThAt?”  
“BECAUSE IT’S DISGUSTING YOU MORON. THERE’S SAND AND STICKS IN IT. WHAT WERE YOU EVEN DOING, ROLLING AROUND LIKE AN OINK BEAST?”  
Gamzee laughs a little and squishes Karkat more.  
“Eh nOt qUiTe.”  
“NOT QUITE.” Eye roll.  
“So... YoU ArEn't mAd aT Me?”  
“WHAT??? WHY THE FUCK WOULD I BE MAD AT YOU? DID YOU DO SOMETHING STUPID?”  
“No.... i mEaN I DoN'T ThInK ThIs iS StUpId.”  
“AND IT’S NOT STUPID. THIS IS IMPORTANT. WE’RE MAKING HISTORY FOR SURE. I DON’T THINK THIS IS STUPID AND I’M NOT MAD AT YOU. ESPECIALLY NOT FOR DOING EVERYTHING YOU HAVE... IT’S BEEN TOO LONG GAMZEE AND... I FELT BAD EVERY DAY FOR DOING WHAT I DID TO YOU ALL THAT TIME AGO. AND I DON’T CARE IF YOU FORGIVE ME. BECAUSE I’LL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF. I WAS A BAD FRIEND AND A BAD MOIRAIL. I FUCKED UP AND I FEEL FUCKING HORRIBLE. I FEEL IT IN MY CORE GAMZEE. IF I HAD JUST BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE.....” Gamzee shushes Karkat and holds Karkat’s face in his big hands and makes him look into his own purple eyes.  
“KaRkAt fUcKiN VaNtAs yOu lIsTeN To mE MaN. iT WaS SuPpOsEd tO HaPpEn tHaT WaY. yOu aNd i nEeDeD To bE SePaRaTeD FoR ThAt tImE So wE CoUlD BoTh gO ThRoUgH ThE StUpId rIgAmArOlL Of dEsTiNy aNd sO It wOuLd aLl lEaD Up tO ThEsE MoMeNtS ThAt wE ReAlLy nEeDeD FoR OuR FuTuRe. AnD I DoN'T CaRe iF YoU DoN'T CaRe iF I FoRgIvE YoU Or nOt. BeCaUsE I FoRgIvE YoU So fUcKiNg hArD BrO. i dOn't bLaMe yOu oR /aNyThInG/ mAn. AnD LoOk.” Gamzee holds his arms out, letting go of Karkat’s face and looks up, then back down at Karkat.  
“HeRe wE ArE AgAiN. yOu aNd i aRe tOgEtHeR AgAiN. aNd.... i dOn't kNoW AbOuT AnYoNe eLsE BuT... i'm gOnNa wOrK DoUbLe tImE If iT MeAnS We dOn't hAvE To dO ThIs aGaIn... AnD So i cAn kEeP YoU. sO I CaN KeEp aLl oF YoU FiNaLlY... eVeN ThOuGh i'vE DoNe tHiS So mAnY TiMeS.... I AlWaYs mIsS YoU GuYs. I FeEl tOtAlLy aLoNe aNd eMpTy wItHoUt yOu gUyS. eVeN ThOuGh i hAvE AlL ThEsE NeW FrIeNdS.... No oNe wIlL /eVeR/ bE AbLe tO RePlAcE YoU AlL. aNd i'm sOrRy fOr tHe pAiN AnD UnCeRtAiNtY I CaUsEd yOu aLl fOr tHiS. bUt i'm dOiNg iT FoR YoU AlL. aNd eVeN ThOuGh i kNoW A LoT Of yOu hAvE DoUbTs... I WaNt eVeRyOnE To fIgHt hArD So wE DoN'T HaVe tO FuCkInG Do iT AnYmOrE... bEcAuSe i aIn't nEvEr fUcKiN StOpPiNg. I'M NoT StOpPiNg uNtIl eVeRyThInG Is hOw iT ShOuLd bE....”  
Karkat stares up at Gamzee and he bites his own lip a little to keep the stinging tears away. He doesn’t like crying in front of anyone. But... hearing his dumb Gamzee feel so deeply and talk so passionately about something like this really shakes him and reminds him how much his friend has truly grown. He grew right alongside them. They didn’t just leave and Gamzee didn’t stay that dumb high bastard this whole time. He’s been through so much alone. Karkat knows how it feels to be so alone in something... and knowing that his moirail and best friend had to go through the same thing...  
“I TRUST YOU GAMZEE... AND EVEN IF THE OTHERS HAVE DOUBTS... WHEN THEY SEE THE CONDESCENSION THEY’LL FORGET ALL OF THEM AND FIGHT HARD. WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING. SO I HOPE YOU TRUST US TOO.”  
“I KnOw i cAn tRuSt yOu gUyS WiTh aNyThInG... mAn i nEeDeD ThIs. I MiSsEd yOu kArKaT.” The two hug it out for a long time and finally when the moon is at its peak height in the sky, Atori peeks his head in to see if everything was alright. What he sees is the two have fallen asleep together on the chair. Atori smiles softly and leaves them be.  
He stands outside of the tent and looks up at the moon... He hopes all of this will work out. Atori trusts Gamzee to keep everything in order, yet he sighs.  
“This is quite a cluster fuck we’ve gotten into... Guess we just gotta do our best.”  
The next morning Karkat is back in his own space in the tent on the stage floor with the others. The first to wake of course is our very own insane Reznia.  
She and Tieono have a morning routine so Reznia can get out her morning energy that normally sends her into violent spasms if she doesn’t release it quickly. Rez lies on her back and Tieono and her use their feet to flip Tieono into the air multiple times until Reznia runs out of just enough energy to not murder someone by accident...  
When they’re done Reznia goes up on the stage and looks down at the new trolls on the stage. She crawls up to them on her hands and knees and gets right up to every single one of their faces to stare at them for a while.... Tieono whispers loudly to her.  
“Rez come on cut it out, what if one of them wakes up? You’re gonna seem so creepy!”  
“I don’t give a FUCK. I wanna fuckin’ see them. If they were awake and I just stared at them for ten minutes THEN they’d be creeped out SO FUCKING SHUT UP YOU ADORABLE FUCKING BRAT MOTHERFUCKING PUNK ASS BTICH.” She grits her teeth, trying hard to suppress her muscle spasms. Tieono just sighs a little and comes up on the stage with her to make sure she doesn’t start sniffing hair or something weird.....  
Reznia continues and finally gets to Equius.  
“Hm.”  
“Hm? What the heck does HM mean? Dude come on he’s the strongest one, he might hurt you.”  
“He’s a blue blood you moron fuckin piece of shit cutie pie idiot shit fucker.” Twitch. She shakes her head hard and her arms shake a little.  
“No Reznia come on you’re doing the thing again and you might hurt someone. Come ooonnn let’s go, we’ll do more exercises!”  
“No shut up.” She gets into Equius’ face more and tilts her head to see him better. Equius opens his eyes and sees Reznia’s crazy purple ones staring directly into his. Instinctively he throws his fist forward, but Reznia grabs it easily and stops it before it even gets close to her face. She backs up a little and just stares. His reaction was quick and that punch was a strong one. Tieono covers his face in embarraassment.  
“What on earth are you doing? You’re invading my personal space and it’s rather uncomfortable....”  
“I wanted to see all of your faces.”  
“Why....” Equius looks confused and tired. He rubs his eyes and relaxes his fist. Reznia however doesn’t let go.  
“Because I don’t fuck fuck FUCK!!! fucking like you guys.”  
“Reznia come on, get away. Come on come on come on!” Tieono goes up to her and hugs her around the neck.  
“I’m sorry mister Equius. She’s really full of energy today.”  
“I see that. I wouldn’t mind helping her release some of it.”  
“Right NOW?” Tieono’s eyes grow a little wide and they’re full of shock.  
“Right now??” Reznia’s face goes from crazy to crazy HAPPY. She becomes super excited and stands up super fast. Equius stands now quickly as well.  
“Right now.”  
“FUCK YES.” Equius can see that this girl is Gamzee’s wild card for sure.... And why not help her let out some pent up energy along with getting in a little sparing time for himself? They all got to fight yesterday, but he didn’t get any real fighting time with Reznia.   
“Reznia seriously try not to kill him, we have to fight the day after tomorrow!”  
“I won’t if he won’t let me.” Her creepy wide eyed sneer makes Tieono a little nervous.... so he looks over at Equius.  
“Uh.... I’m sorry to ask this... but can you super duper kick her ass? For all of our sakes?” He smiles apologetically and Equius nods.  
“I suspect this will be.... fun.” The two instantly dash off leaving Tieono to look up and watch them. He sighs and sits down. Nepeta of course is awake and watched the whole thing. She crawls over next to Tieono and watches the two.  
“Hey morning!”  
“A-ah. Morning miss.”  
“Nepeta! I’m Nepeta. So you and that girl are moirails. Can you tell me more about you two? I love learning about other moirails. Relationships are my favorite thing to learn about!” She smiles widely and Tieono looks at her oddly. He’s never met anyone like her before so..... he shrugs. If Gamzee trusts her, then he trusts her. Besides he met her once before close and personal and she was very nice. So he guesses this is okay.  
“Ah yeah sure. Reznia isn’t able to tell me about her own past, but old Kloshe and Chebur have told me all about it since they lived near her. I’m gonna try and make it short because her past is long and difficult to explain... Are you sure you wanna hear? I don’t wanna bother you at all...”  
“Silly I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want to hear!”  
“Alright well... Reznia’s always been like this. Kloshe tells me even as a grub she was like this. Once she broke out of her shell she was more mobile and her Lusus had a super hard time controlling her. So her lusus left her... As a wriggler she would start to hear weird voices. And Chebur told me that it wasn’t even like horror terrors of the spirits of trolls past. But her brain just..... put in voices and sounds and whispers and screams in her head in parts that were idling and not being used. Her lusus didn’t do much for her. So she was unable to grow out of the voices or to replace the holes with things she should have learned at her age. Parts that the voices control also control parts of her body and she twitches all the time. And most of the time she has a TON of energy and it’s like she’s being shocked all the time the way she moves and can’t really control it. Sometimes she can’t hear my voice because the ones in her head are louder than me... She used to go so crazy that she couldn’t even see straight and couldn’t see me when I tried to calm her down.”  
“Oh no.... did she hurt you?”  
“Oh yeah lots of times. But I understood. It wasn’t her fault and I know she didn’t want to hurt me. She hallucinates, so along with that and the voices, it used to just take her over completely. Sometimes she wasn’t even Reznia. She was just........ She wasn’t herself. And it used to scare me a lot. But at times when I was really scared and I’d cry in the corner to protect myself, she’d come out of her episodes and finally see me and hear me and she’d come over to me and sob and tell me she was sorry and beg me to forgive her. And I always did. Because I love her you know? We’re in this pale quadrant together and we have to stick together. She’s important to me and I know I’m important to her. That’s the short version.”  
“Aw no long version?”  
“Nope. But really that’s the gist of it. The long version just includes a bunch of times where she let herself go and killed a ton of us and she even went out into the city where the blue bloods live and messed stuff up over there. I’m sure Equius hasn’t done anything like that.”  
“Well not exactly. He used to make a bunch of robots to fight and he’d of course destroy them all. When we were still on Alternia it was literally just us kids. There were no adults on Alternia when we were growing up. A bunch of stuff happened and the Condesce banned all the adults from Alternia, soooo it was me and my friends and a bunch of other kids with their lusi. But I feel like that was a great thing. Because those adults were crazy as I remember. Like the Highblood guy before Gamzee. So I hope when we finally get rid of that stupid fish head witch we can change everything and have the world be happier.”  
“Yeah. You know what.... I’d like?”  
“Hm?” Nepeta looks over at Tieono and he seems to look off into space, into his own imagination.  
“I’d like so much to get out of this city. Out of this stupid tiny desert town where the rain hurts and the only thing beyond the walls is sand and death.... I want to go somewhere where it’s not.... this place. I mean.... I appreciate that this place and our people helped take care of me and teach me our ways... But this dry sand and poison rain is driving me crazy. I can’t believe Kloshe has been alive for so long in this stupid place and not flipped his shit completely....”  
“Well you know what? Don’t you dare feel bad about wanting what you do! You want what you want and you can’t help it. And when this is all over I know you’ll be able to get out of here. And go somewhere with trees and water and grass and juicy fruits and stuff!”  
“Trees... We don’t even have those in books. I’ve never seen what one looks like and I’ve never touched any real nature that’s green. Any green we had died.”  
“Don’t be sad! It’ll happen someday I promise!”  
“How can you promise?”  
“Because you won’t be stuck here! You’ll get outta here to another town or something or even maybe make your own!”  
“O-oh gosh you’re setting the bar pretty high!” Tieono scratches his face a little and laughs nervously.  
“Well if you don’t chase your dream and work hard to get it then it’ll always stay just a dream. You have to make it a GOAL. You’re gonna fight with us and I want you to imagine....” Nepeta folds her arms and thinks a bit, Tieono watching her intently. She’s so optimistic. He knows he’s optimistic too, but really it’s not as much as this girl. Maybe because she’s a different blood color, or the people she hangs with?  
“I want you to imagine the second you stab her through the heart that trees will grow somewhere just for you.”  
“Trees will grow just for me huh?... That’s impossible though. I know trees don’t just HAPPEN.”  
“IMPOSSIBLE? Do you even see what’s happening around us man? Time travel?? Space travel and a rebellion to take down HER IMPERIOUS CONDESCENSION? Those are impossible too but here we are! Right smack in the middle of it all! If you keep doubting anything good will happen to you then it’ll just stay that way forever!”  
“What was your dream? Or what IS it?”  
“Hm. My GOAL,” Nepeta says with a small elbow to Tieono’s arm, “is that we’ll all be together again. The twelve of us. My goal is to kill the sea bitch and have as many people be happy as possible. I want to live happily with my friends and when the time comes, I want to be able to die at their sides. And even though my blood won’t allow me to live as long as Gamzee or Eridan or Feferi, I’m gonna live my hardest for as long as I possibly can so I can stay with everyone. Because being with them makes me so happy.”  
Tieono is quiet and he watches her face move as she speaks.  
“You really mean that huh? It’s truly what you want.”  
“Yep! That’s the truth! And I’m gonna do everything I can to make it happen!”  
“Huh.... wow. You really are Gamzee’s friend. I feel the same conviction from you as I feel from him when he talks about you all being together. You all must have been through a lot to feel so strongly.”  
“Ha. That’s a story for another day. But uh, for now look at those two go!” Nepeta points at Reznia and Equius going at it quite violently. Reznia is giving Equius a run for his money for sure. But the two are nearly equally matched. Reznia grabs Equius by the ankles and swings him around really really fast that sorta has Tieono worried Equius’ head might pop off. She throws Equius directly into the ground and shakes the whole area.  
Everyone wakes with a start and looks around at what’s happening. Marsho leans back in relief to see it’s just a sparring match and not something worse.  
“Reznia’s at it again it looks like.”  
“God dammit I’ll fucking kill them. I need my damn sleep.” Persha sits up and rubs her eyes angrily.  
“I’d offer to let you sleep on my lap, but it looks like we’ll have to get out of the way eventually before we get crushed.” Marsho states it matter-of-factly. He stands up and helps Persha up with a hand and the two walk over to the stage and hop up on it. Persha leans her head on Marsho’s shoulder and closes her eyes for just a few more minutes of rest.  
Feferi snaps awake when Equius hits the ground and she rolls around, /hopefully/ out of the way of whatever is happening, but the crash was nowhere near her. Vriska laughs at her pitiful attempt to avoid danger.  
“Hey don’t laugh! That’s quite a wake-up call!”  
“Well Feferi if it was her high 8itch then you might have been skewered!”  
Vriska stretches and yaaawns. The wooden stage isn’t much of a sleeping place.... but lying on her stomach made it better. Terezi accidentally kicks Aradia when she turns over, still snoring. Aradia sits up with a yelp and rubs her hip. She leans over and plugs Terezi’s nose.  
“BW4H!” Terezi flails a little and sits up swatting Aradia’s hand away.  
“WH4T TH3 H3LL 1S GO1NG ON?”  
“lOOKS LIKE EQUIUS AND THAT ONE GIRL ARE HAVING A FIGHT. iS EVERYTHING OKAY?...” Tavros sits up and crosses his legs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Nepeta waves over at him.  
“Everything’s okay Tav! The two wanted to have a match! So they just sorta went for it!”  
“w-WOW. wELL I GUESS THAT’S A RELIEF...” He scratches the back of his head and then stretches.  
Kanaya stands up and makes a big fangy yawn and stretches her arms high into the sky.  
“She’s A Rambunctious One Isn’t She?”  
“Reznia? Yep! Full of energy like normal as I hear!” Nepeta shouts. Kanaya goes over to Nepeta and folds her arms.  
“B-But.... Miss Kanaya please don’t dislike her? She... ah. Well. She isn’t NICE. She’s forward but she won’t hurt anyone here as long as I’m around.”  
“Hm. You Trust Her Then?”  
“Of course! Reznia’s grown up a lot in these long sweeps and she’s learned to control herself really good! It’s just today that she’s really full of energy!” Tieono stands up, quick to come to Reznia’s defense. Kanaya looks up at him, surprised that he’s just a half inch taller than her even in her heels.  
“Moirails?”  
“Yep.” Nepeta stands up too and smiles a little.  
“If he trusts her then I trust her too!”  
“I... Wasn’t Implying That I Didn’t Trust Her, I’m Just A Little Worried.... Hm. I Suppose That Would Sound Untrusting...” Kanaya rubs her chin a little bit and watches Reznia and Equius continue to fight once Equius gets up out of his crash site.... The longer she watches the more she notices Reznia become more focused.  
“Huh. So She’s...”  
“Yeah. She’s pretty excitable and gets a bunch of pent up energy, but when she starts getting into a fight she’s excited about, she concentrates more and more. Even though that’s not her deadliest.... We’ve sorta.... ah I really feel bad for saying it like this but.... we’ve sorta.... trained her to focus all of her energy into being skillful about how she fights?? I worded that weird... uh... uhm... She used to just go batshit crazy all the time without thinking, and she’d get hurt a lot because she wouldn’t think about what she was doing exactly. So we all trained and helped teach her that brute force wasn’t always the best tactic in a fight. A lot of the time she’d have to think hard about possible moves and all that stuff so she could be prepared.... Is any of this coming out right?”  
“Yes, I Understand. That’s Good. I Wonder.”  
“Wonder? Wonder what?”  
“If Maybe She’s Actually Incredibly Smart And Talented.... But Is Unable To Tap Into That Potential Because Of Her Condition?”  
“I’d like to believe that. I know she’s not all crazy. I know she has a heart and when she cares about something or someone... she cares about it more than anything else in the world. It’s the ONLY thing she cares about in the world.”  
“I noticed that yesterday. Once you were being held captive by my friends, she instantly stopped moving and looked to be thinking for a real way out of such a situation. Which is good. You must be that someone she cares most for.” Kanaya smiles a little at Tieono and gets a big smile back from him.  
“Yeah. I’m not bragging but, without me she’d be a real wreck. I’m really happy to see how far she’s come. It’s taken time and a lot of hard work and love, but she’s doing pretty great. She was looking at everyone’s faces earlier while you all slept and she didn’t like, lick you guys, or scratch your arms or anything. Which might still sound really weird, buuuut it’s better than normal.”  
“Dare I Get Into What’s ‘Normal’?”  
“Ah... no.”  
“Alright then... Gamzee told us a bit about everyone yesterday but learning about others is interesting.”  
“eSPECIALLY SINCE THEY’RE THE ONES WE’LL BE FIGHTING WITH TOMORROW.” Tavros walks up into the conversation and smiles.  
“Oh hi! You’re that cool guy with the huge bull horns! The red quadrant!” Tieono looks up at Tavros excitedly and Tavros just looks taken aback. He isn’t used to being addressed like that... But he likes it. So he smiles and rubs the back of his head with slight embarrassment.  
“y-YEAH THAT’S ME. i’M TAVROS.” The two shake hands.  
“I’ve always wanted to meet Gamzee’s flushed quadrant! I never would have imagined!~ It’s so exciting!!”  
“w....WHY EXACTLY?”  
“Well Gamzee... hmmmm. He doesn’t talk about things often, but when he does he goes into detail. Gamzee our big bad leader has a red quadrant and I think it’s adorable! It’s sorta like looking at Equius and Nepeta! Big huge buff guy serious face blah, and then cute adorable Nepeta is his moirail!” Nepeta puts a claw to Tieono’s neck with a sly kitty face on....  
“I’m not /just/ cute and adorable.”  
“WAAAA THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” Nepeta laughs a little and takes her claw away. Tieono makes a little mental note to not underestimate this girl. He thinks he remembers Gamzee saying Nepeta was a huge badass and she’d hunt big game animals with just her old claws, bare hands, and lusus sometimes. Jesus frick he could have died just now.  
“But uh, yeah you were on Gamzee’s mind a lot. I mean, all of you were but a red and pale quadrant are always the most important things! I think so anyway.” Tieono smiles even wider and Tavros smiles back.  
“sPEAKING OF GAMZEE WHERE IS HE?”  
Atori walks up this time, since he’s the only one who usually knows where Gamzee is at all times.  
“He’s on top of the tallest building here. He likes to have a morning faygo and look at the city.” Tavros turns to Atori and he’s sure to watch where his horns go so he doesn’t crack someone in the face or anything.  
“dO YOU THINK HE’D MIND IF I WENT TO SEE HIM?”   
Atori gives Tavros the “You’re joking right?” face and then does the “shoo shoo” motion with his hand. Tavros nods happily and runs off quickly.  
After much running and climbing and jumping he finds the tallest building and runs and jumps over to it. Gamzee stands there with his hands in his hoodie’s front pockets with an empty faygo bottle next to him on the roof.  
“gAMZEE.” Tavros calls quietly. Gamzee seems to snap out of his place and turns around. He smiles happily at Tavros and takes his hands out of his pockets. Tavros half runs to Gamzee and the two hug tightly.  
“oH GAMZEE.... I MISSED YOU SO MUCH YOU BIG JERK.”  
“I MiSsEd yOu tOo tAv. HoLy sHiT. gOd dAmN TaVrOs i mIsSeD YoU.”  
They hug each other so tightly it starts to hurt, but neither of them cares, because being in such close contact after all this time means more than anything right now.  
After a long time of hugging and just feeling each other now and again to remind the both of them that they were really truly there in the other’s arms.... the two part just enough for Tavros to look up at Gamzee.  
“YoU SuRe gOt tAlL TaVrOs.”  
“sO DID YOU. yOU’RE ALWAYS GONNA BE TALLER THAN ME HUH?”  
“’FrAiD So.” They smile at each other and just stare.  
“gAMZEE... i CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU... i WORKED SO HARD BECAUSE I KNEW I’D GET TO SEE YOU AGAIN...” He hugs Gamzee again and just smells him. The familiarity of it makes him smile widely and he rubs his cheek on Gams’ chest.  
“I KnOw yOu dId mAn. I KnOw yOu dId.”  
“i ALWAYS WONDERED THOUGH. wHY DID YOU GIVE ME THAT ONE NOTE THAT SAID THAT I REALLY WAS WORTH BEING IN THE GROUP?”  
“WeLl... OnE Or tWo tImEs yOu lEfT ThE HiVe i hAd yA'Ll sTaY At aNd yOu wEnT OfF To tRaIn sOmEwHeRe eLsE ThAt i dOn't eVeN KnOw. AnD WhEn yOu cAmE BaCk yOu wErEn't tHe sAmE. yOu wErEn't yOu aNyMoRe aNd iT JuSt rEaLlY EnDeD Up nOt bEiNg fOr tHe bEsT. sO I WaNtEd tO ReAsSuRe yOu tHaT YoU ReAlLy dId bElOnG WiTh eVeRyOnE AnD ThAt yOu mEaNt a lOt.”  
“yOU.... KNOW ME SO GOOD GAMZEE.”  
“YeR GoD DaMn rIgHt i dO.” He kisses the top of Tavros’ mohawked head and gives him another squish before the two hold hands and Gamzee uses his free hand to swing it out towards the horizon.  
“LoOk sImBa. EvErYtHiNg tHe lIgHt tOuChEs iS OuR KiNgDoM.”  
“uH.... gAMZEE?”  
“CoMe oN TaV WoRk wItH Me hErE.” Tavros rolls his eyes a lot, then smiles and chuckles, figuring there’s no harm in indulging Gamzee’s ridiculous shpeel he’s got going.  
“wHAT ABOUT THAT SHADOWY PLACE?”  
“AiN'T YoU LiStEnInG To mE TaV?! I ToLd yA EvErYtHiNg tHe lIgHt tOuChEs! If iT DoN'T ToUcH It tHeN It aIn't oUrS!” Tavros laughs a little. How could he not know Gamzee would pull something so FUCKING STUPID out of his ass like that? Either way it makes him so happy to hear his stupid jokes and his voice again.  
“TaV. oNcE We bEaT HeR HiGhBiTcH, wHaT Do yOu wAnT To dO?”  
“hUH?” He looks up at Gamzee who now has a far more serious face on.... Tavros folds his arms and thinks, looking out at the city and the morning trolls going about their business.  
“i DUNNO. wON’T IT DEPEND ON IF WE BEAT HER THIS TIME?”  
“We wIlL TaVrOs. I FeEl iT. i rEaLlY FeEl iT ThIs tImE.”  
“hM. wHAT DO I WANT TO DO HUH?.... yOU KNOW I’M NOT SURE. i DIDN’T REALLY PLAN PAST GETTING HERE AND KICKING AS MUCH ASS AS I CAN... bUT UH... I GUESS JUST LIVE LIKE WE DID BEFORE. i HEARD THAT TIEONO WANTS TO LEAVE THIS PLACE. iT’S NOT AGAINST YOU, BUT I THINK IT’S BECAUSE HE’S JUST.... ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT WANTS TO GO EXPLORING. yOU AND I AND THE REST OF US HAVE DONE SO MUCH TRAVELING AND GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THINGS... AND MAYBE HE WANTS TO EXPERIENCE OTHER THINGS TOO.”  
“YeAh. MaKeS SeNsE. i dOn't bLaMe hIm. I AsK BeCaUsE.... I DuNnO WhAt i'm gOnNa dO EiThEr. I'M ThE HiGhBlOoD Of tHiS PlAcE NoW. tHeSe aRe mY PeOpLe... BuT... tHiS PlAcE HoNeStLy sUcKs. It's jUsT SaNd aNd iT'd mAkE AnYoNe dEpReSsEd. I WoNdEr iF We sHoUlD AbAnDoN ThIs pLaCe aNd mOvE On tO SoMeWhErE ElSe..... WhAt dO YoU ThInK AbOuT ThAt?”  
Gamzee looks back down at Tavros with a sincere questioning gaze and Tavros stares back up at him. He thinks a while then nods and looks back out to the horizon.  
“tHAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA ACTUALLY. bUT FINDING A PLACE TO GO /FIRST/ SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TOO. yOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE AND HOPE YOU FIND A BETTER PLACE. mAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK ATORI OR KLOSHE ABOUT IT?”  
“YeAh. ThAt sOuNdS ReAsOnAbLe.”  
The two stand quietly with each other, when Gamzee moves his land slightly and lightly holds Tavros’ hand, and then Tavros grips Gamzee’s hand back with a smile. He’s so happy to be with Gamzee again after so long....  
“I AsKeD BrO... bEcAuSe i dUnNo wHaT To dO WiTh yOu gUyS. yOu aLl cAmE HeRe, BuT I DoN'T ExPeCt yA'Ll tO StAy hErE In tHiS SmAlL PlAcE. i mEaN, i gUeSs yOu'lL HaVe tO UnTiL I CaN FiNd sOmEwHeRe eLsE To mOvE Us aLl tOo...”  
“gAMZEE, ANYWHERE YOU GO I WANT TO GO WITH YOU. i KNOW YOU WANT US ALL TO JUST LIVE OUR LIVES... bUT I WANT TO STAY WITH YOU FOR AS LONG AS I LIVE....” Tavros blushes a nice orange color and he bites the inside of his lip a little to suppress a small smile. Gamzee looks down at his shorter friend and slowly makes the biggest smile ever.  
“YoU'Re kIlLiN' mE WiTh yOuR SlY WoRdS Yo, StOp tHaT ShIt.” He rubs the back of his head with his free hand and laughs a little, unable to contain the purple blush from beneath his face paint. Tavros laughs a little, and then clears his throat.  
“gAMZEE I WORKED HARD ON TRYING TO BE MANLY. yOU’RE RUINING IT BY MAKING ME ACT LIKE A SCHOOL GIRL.”  
“HeY YoU NeVeR KnOw wHaT ThE OtHeR Is iNtO.”  
“gAMZEE!” Tavros laughs and shakes his head and rolls his eyes.  
“wHATEVER MAN.” They smile at each other again softly...  
The two can feel their feet vibrating, and their looks of affection suddenly turn to confusion. They look at their feet and into the sky.  
“gAMZEE WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?”  
“ThErE AiN'T No fUcKiN' wAy...”  
“gAMZEE??” Tav looks up at Gamzee who looks around in shock. Behind them comes a shadow that starts to cover everything.... Gamzee turns around quickly and his eyes go huge.  
“No.....”  
Tavros looks too and he swallows hard.  
“i THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN UNTIL TOMORROW!”  
“It wAsN'T SuPpOsEd tO HaPpEn uNtIl tOmOrRoW!”  
Above them is the giant red ship of Her Imperious Condescension.... and many other smaller ships flanking it, along with other giant mechanized droids......  
They’ve come.  
SHE’S here...  
“FuCkInG ChRiSt, TaV Go gEt tHe oThErS RIGHT NOW.”  
“wHAT ABOUT YOU?”  
“I... I GoTtA.... I GoTtA SeT SoMeThInG Up. TeLl aToRi To mEeT Me At ThE pLaCe. hUrRy mAn!”  
“wAIT!” Before Gamzee runs off Tavros grabs Gamzee’s shirt sleeve tightly.  
“dON’T.... LEAVE AGAIN. pLEASE GAMZEE DON’T DISAPPEAR LIKE LAST TIME.”  
Gam looks down at Tavros and stops moving........ then nods.  
“I PrOmIsE BrO. iT WoN'T HaPpEn aGaIn... NoW Go tElL ThE OtHeRs. AnD TeLl eVeRyOnE To mEeT At tHe eDgE Of tOwN. tHe cOnDeScE Is gOnNa tAkE OvEr tHe tV WaVeS AnD RaDiO WaVeS AnD TrY To mAkE An aNnOuNcEmEnT. tHaT'S WhEn sOlLuX WiLl cOmE OuT, aNd tElL EvErYoNe tO JuSt kEeP ThEiR FuCkIn cOoL. dOn't dO AnYtHiNg uNtIl mY ClOwNs tElL ThEm tO. tHeY'Ll eXpLaIn eVeRyThInG On tHe wAy. BuT TrY To sTaY ToWaRdS ThE BaCk oF ThE CrOwD. i kNoW ThIs sUcKs bUt i dOn't kNoW WhAt tHe fUcK Is hApPeNiNg rIgHt nOw sO JuSt dO It.”  
“y-yEAH! wE’LL BE THERE!” Tavros lets go of Gamzee and runs off, jumping away on the tops of buildings, slowly descending and swinging around to get back to the tent.   
()  
TBC


	16. 16

Last time  
()  
“I... I GoTtA.... I GoTtA SeT SoMeThInG Up. TeLl aToRi To mEeT Me At ThE pLaCe. hUrRy mAn!”  
“wAIT!” Before Gamzee runs off Tavros grabs Gamzee’s shirt sleeve tightly.  
“dON’T.... LEAVE AGAIN. pLEASE GAMZEE DON’T DISAPPEAR LIKE LAST TIME.”  
Gam looks down at Tavros and stops moving........ then nods.  
“I PrOmIsE BrO. iT WoN'T HaPpEn aGaIn... NoW Go tElL ThE OtHeRs. AnD TeLl eVeRyOnE To mEeT At tHe eDgE Of tOwN. tHe cOnDeScE Is gOnNa tAkE OvEr tHe tV WaVeS AnD RaDiO WaVeS AnD TrY To mAkE An aNnOuNcEmEnT. tHaT'S WhEn sOlLuX WiLl cOmE OuT, aNd tElL EvErYoNe tO JuSt kEeP ThEiR FuCkIn cOoL. dOn't dO AnYtHiNg uNtIl mY ClOwNs tElL ThEm tO. tHeY'Ll eXpLaIn eVeRyThInG On tHe wAy. BuT TrY To sTaY ToWaRdS ThE BaCk oF ThE CrOwD. i kNoW ThIs sUcKs bUt i dOn't kNoW WhAt tHe fUcK Is hApPeNiNg rIgHt nOw sO JuSt dO It.”  
“y-yEAH! wE’LL BE THERE!” Tavros lets go of Gamzee and runs off, jumping away on the tops of buildings, slowly descending and swinging around to get back to the tent.   
()  
He half crashes into the door, unable to stop, then runs down the hall of the building and into the back of the stage of the tent.  
“gUYS!!”  
“TAVROS WHAT WAS THAT? WHAT’S HAPPENING?”  
“t-tHE CONDESCE IS HERE!”  
“What???” Kloshe looks over at Tavros quickly with wide old eyes.  
“That can’t be!”  
“iT IS! i SAW IT MYSELF!”  
“WH3R3’S G4MZ33?!” Terezi and the others run up to Tavros quickly along with the other Juggalo trolls.  
“hE SAID HE HAD TO PREPARE SOMETHING! tHAT THE CONDESCE IS GOING TO TAKE OVER THE TV AND RADIO WAVES TO MAKE A BROADCAST OR SOMETHING. gAMZEE SAID THAT YOU GUYS WOULD KNOW, AND HE TOLD ME TO TELL ATORI TO MEET HIM AT THE PLACE. i HOPE YOU KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT ATORI.”  
“I do. Thanks.” Atori runs out of the tent as fast as he can and disappears.  
Marsho looks at Persha and the two nod.  
“Guys! Marsho and I have to go set stuff up too! Chebur.”  
“I know. Everyone get to your positions. This isn’t a game. This is it. It happened a little early but that doesn’t mean that the plan has changed! I’m splitting you all into groups that will partner up with us!”  
“Chebur, I’ll do this. You get the others in the city prepared. Our people first, then the blue bloods.”  
“Are you sure Grooga?” Grooga nods and pats her back.  
“I got this. Everyone else please hurry to your spots.”  
Tieono looks at Reznia and holds her hand tightly and looks up at her.  
“Remember the plan Reznia?”  
“Duh, don’t be stupid. Gamzee only talks about it all the fucking time.”  
“Yeah. Let’s go! Come on everyone!” Tieono runs out with Reznia and the others.  
“Wait! I thought you were pairing us up!”  
“I am.” Grooga looks at Feferi and then begins to point.  
“But everyone has to get to their posts before anything, so your groups will be joining the others where I tell you. Everyone is in pairs. So these people will go with Tieono and Reznia. Equius, and Tavros. You four will stay towards the back of the crowd.”   
“Crowd??” Equius raises an eyebrow, but Grooga ignores him, trying to get through this quickly.  
“The ones going with Persha and Marsho are Nepeta, Aradia and Terezi. You guys are gonna be on the building tops. Those two will tell you what to do. The ones going with Kloshe is Kanaya, Eridan and Vriska. Finally Karkat and Feferi are coming with me and Chebur. We are gonna stay behind the buildings next to where the Condescension will be. Your horns miss Feferi will give us away unfortunately. But we’ll get into battle later. Everyone must wear a cloak so we can do our best to blend in with the towns people who will all be wearing the same things.” Grooga goes to the back of the stage ad gets a stack of black cloaks, tossing one to everyone in the group. Everyone gets their cloaks on when Grooga shouts.  
“Now everyone GO.”  
Feferi looks at Karkat and the two nod at each other and run after Grooga who booked it immediately after talking.  
Nepeta, Aradia and Terezi all rush out the side of the stage to the back and out the hall, proceeding to jump onto the roof tops and look for Persha and Marsho.  
Equius and Tavros run out after Feferi and Karkat, then make a right to the edge of the walled in city to find Reznia and Tieono.  
Kanaya, Eridan and Vriska all rush to find Kloshe. They run after Equius and Tavros. After a while they start to see crowds of people, purple, blue and teal walking towards the edge of town and the crowd group starts to blend in with the others.   
Everyone looks above them and sees the red mother ship, smaller ships and flying drones above them.  
“God Look At All Of Them...” Kanaya tightens her jaw a little at the sight...... Vriska growls a little.  
“This is so weird! I don’t get it, why would she show up a day early?”  
Eridan watches the drones and glares at them....  
“This makes me wwonder.... if maybe she kneww this wwas gonna happen...”  
“What??? Why would she know what’s happening?”  
“Vvriska do you honestly think that us and Gam are the only ones wwho can time travvel?.... I fuckin’ kneww it... Gamzee doesn’t havve a fuckin’ clue wwhat he’s talkin’ about....”  
“Don’t Speak Too Quickly Eridan, You Know Gamzee’s Been Through This Many Times Before. Maybe He Just Forgot A Day!”  
“Don’t fucking defend him so fast Kan. I’m startin’ to think the only reason Gamzee keeps going through this ovver and ovver again is because he likes wwatchin’ us die.” Kanaya stops in her tracks, turns around and PUNCHES Eridan in the face. Trolls around them look at them for a second before continuing to walk.... Eridan looks at Kanaya in shock and holds his face.  
“Eridan, How Dare You. You’ve Always Been Like This! You Refuse To See That Gamzee Is Really Trying To Help! How DARE You Think That He’s Doing This Because He Likes To Hurt Everyone!! What The Hell Do You Think We’ve All Worked So Hard To Do?! Why Would He Allow Us To Be So Strong To Fight One Of Our Worst Enemies If He Were Just Going To Keep Killing Us All Huh?! I’m Not Sure What Your Problem Is, But You’d Better Get Over It THIS INSTANT. If You Refuse To Act As Part Of A Team Then I’ll Gladly Tape You To A Ceiling Somewhere Until This Is All Over So You Won’t Get In The Way Of Everyone Else Who Wants To Save Sollux And Kill This Woman!!”  
Kanaya’s eyes glow a bright yellow with her anger, her shoulders tense and her perfect brows pulled together.   
Vriska likes when Kanaya gets angry, but this is so not the time for the two of them to be fighting.  
“Eridan, I agree with Kanaya. We’re here to do a jo8. And you know what? If we do die, then at least these versions of us will help Gamzee for the next time we have to fight so we can get a little 8it closer to the ultim8 goal.”  
Eridan is quiet and he balls his fists together.  
“You guys refuse to see that Gamzee is using us.”  
“Alright Vriska, We Need Some Tape.”  
“But....” Eridan begins.  
“I guess..... Vvriska is right. If using us again and again get us closer to the bigger picture.... then I guess I’ll just havve to keep dying until it’s ovver.”  
“Try to 8e a little more optimistic Eridan. You’re killing the hopeful vi8e man.” Vriska turns around and walks with the crowd with Kanaya. Eridan stands there and watches them go.... He doesn’t want to be used as bait for another hundred cycles... If it isn’t meant to be then there’s no sense in trying to mess with time and space itself to make it work..... And yet he knows he can’t ruin the dreams and hopes of everyone around him. He stands there and remembers his promise to himself.  
He promised himself that he would do whatever it took to make Feferi happy. That he would never mess up like he did before ever again...... He remembers how lonely it was just by himself... without his friends there to keep him sane... without their smiles and their laughter and even their arguing. Without his friends he is a very lonely fishy....   
And so Eridan looks up at the crowd and walks with them, hiding under the black cloak with the others...  
Eventually the three of them find Kloshe in the crowd. Vriska walks quickly up to him with the other two, and without a sound they all know where to be.   
Thankfully though, the noise of the crowd will muffle their whispers.  
“Alright Kloshe, Grooga told us all that you guys would explain what to do...”  
“Yes. You see today was supposed to be the day that we all tell you, and we’d rehearse our duties for TOMORROW which is when we were supposed to carry out the deed. So you will all have to adapt quickly.”  
“You got it 8oss.”  
“Right then, us four will be in the center of the crowd. We’re in the center because we will be the ones who attack first. But we won’t attack until Gamzee and Atori give us the signal. They will be behind the Condesce. We are the distraction so that they can come in and attack her from behind. Yet he’s told me that this method doesn’t always work. So he’s set up Grooga, Chebur, Karkat and Feferi behind the buildings on either side of the Condesce. So that is a four way attack. Yet he tells me that this too doesn’t work, so he’s then set up Persha, Marsho, Nepeta, Aradia and Terezi on the roof tops so that they can attack from above with the hopeful element of surprise. This usually works, but he’s kept Tieono Reznia, Equius and Tavros towards the back to be our stronger back up. They are after all the raw strength.”  
“Tieono Is Part Of That Raw Strength?” Kanaya looks around to make sure they appear to be in the center of the crowd.  
“Indeed. He may not look very physically strong, but he does have Reznia as a moirail and he has to hold her down somehow. Without strength he would be killed by her mistakenly.”  
“Old man Kloshe, tell us more about wwhat wwe’re gonna do about Sollux.”  
“Let’s see here...”  
On the roof of one building is Persha Marsho Nep, Aradia and Terezi. They’re all laying low on their stomachs to keep as hidden as possible...  
“We’re all going to have to keep our cool.” Marsho starts.   
“The Condesce is going to come out and tell everyone to say their prayers basically..... because she plans on destroying this place for going rouge. Everyone who lives in this walled off city ran away from the original spot they were banished too after Alternia. The people here left and when they got in the center of this desert, she walled everyone off so they couldn’t leave. And then with some sort of magic or whatever... she made those acid clouds to make sure we never left... If anyone went outside the walls the whole city would flood with that stuff.... So the people made everything resistant to the rain. Anyway, she’s gonna destroy us for bailing on her. But she’s gonna bring Sollux out to do as much damage to us as he can before she has her own fun.”  
“Marsho, does Condy know that Gamzee is the highblood of this place now? And why did she wall in the purrevious Highblood with everyone else?”  
“I don’t think she knows. But I’m sure she’s suspected something is up with the lack of communication between the two of them..... She sealed him in here with us because she knew that he was straying from her command too and doing whatever he wanted... He made all of us launch him into space on a giant rock he’d come up with from somewhere..... and Gamzee tells us that’s how he got to you guys in the veil... So I’m sorry for that.”  
“It isn’t y0ur fault...” Aradia looks over at Marsho and frowns a bit. Persha interrupts.  
“Well it’s a good thing we did. You all found each other anyway and now everything has lead up to this. If past experiences never happened then we wouldn’t be as smart as we are now. We wouldn’t be WHO we are now. So I don’t regret a damn thing.” Terezi can hear Persha’s tone in defending her red quadrant. It’s sweet.   
“SO SOLLUX 1S GONN4 TRY 4ND FUCK US UP HUH? DO W3 H4V3 4 W4Y TO STOP H1M?”  
“Uhhhh sorta?” Persha shrugs a little bit and looks over towards the buildings Grooga, Chebur, Karkat and Feferi are hiding.  
Chebur peeks out from behind the building she and the others hide behind.  
“You see Karkat, Feferi, the only way we can stop Sollux, or at least slow him down, is by using our chucklevoodoo powers...”  
“YOU GUYS HAVE THAT SHIT TOO?” Karkat folds his arms, leaning against the building he’s hiding behind.  
“It is an HONOR to have such powers bestowed upon us. We need you two to defend my body while I do my best to restrain Sollux. Grooga will use his own body with a thick layer of voodoo protection around himself to ward off the psionic powers Sollux has, and grab him from behind. He won’t be easy to stop, so you two have to protect me.”  
“Oh gosh... if you two can’t stop Sollux with your voodoo powers... how the heck are we supposed to stop him?”  
Grooga lifts his head and unfolds his arms, standing straight from leaning on the wall.  
“Don’t underestimate yourselves. Sollux may have grown very strong with the Condesce. But you all have grown as well with your hard work and constant training. Try giving yourself more credit young ruler.”  
“A...ah... don’t call me that just yet...” Feferi scratches the back of her head and then hugs herself a little. Karkat’s warm hand touches her shoulder softly.  
“HEY, LIKE HE SAID GIVE YOURSELF MORE CREDIT. WE’RE GONNA FUCKING WIN FEFERI, SO YOU’RE GONNA BECOME THE NEW RULER OF ALL OF THE TROLL RACE AND BASICALLY OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. SO GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME.” He shrugs and decides to try and lighten the mood.  
“NO PRESSURE OR ANYTHING.”   
“Pf... yeah no pressure at all Karkat, thanks for that.” She smiles a little, her tone sarcastic. But Karkat just looks up at her and smiles back.  
“Now listen you two. Grooga, myself and mostly the others have agreed... that if any of US die.... any of us painted faces.... if we die, we don’t want Gamzee to restart time again. Being rid of the Condesce is far more important than keeping us alive.” Chebur stands there straight as a board and looks at the two seriously. Karkat is ready to protest... but he knows that what she says is true. If they die but the rest of them beat the Condesce... then the goal has been met, and it’s best not to reverse the best outcome possible by going back in time just to keep them together...  
“YOU ALL AGREED TO IT?... DID ANY OF YOU TELL GAMZEE? DID YOU EVEN HINT IT TO HIM?”  
“No... unfortunately. We’ve only been able to talk about it amongst ourselves. The only ones who aren’t totally up for the idea are Reznia and Tieono...”  
“What? Why? Tieono too? He doesn’t seem like a selfish guy...”   
“He’s not... He wants to get Reznia and himself out of this city. He wants the two of them to have freedom. And of course Reznia will do anything to protect Tieono. Those two are the most inseparable pair of trolls I’ve ever seen. Their moirailegience is one of the strongest. They want to live and it’s understandable. I’m sure that if one of the two of them were to die, the other would follow....”  
“Oh my gosh.... That is intense... Does Gamzee know if anything happens?”  
“Well of course he’s seen things in many cycles past, but we’re not positive what will happen with this particular cycle. Especially since the Condesce has shown up a day earlier than expected...”  
“WELL LOOK CHEBUR, WE’RE GONNA DO OUR FUCKING BEST TO KEEP YOU ALL SAFE. WE DON’T WANT ANYONE DYING IF WE CAN STOP IT. WE’RE ALL A TIGHT KNIT GROUP TOO SO WE UNDERSTAND THE FEELING. SO NONE OF US ARE GONNA DIE, THAT’S FOR GOD DAMN SURE.” Karkat nods determined and folds his arms.   
“You’re so sure Karkat....” Feferi seems worried about the whole thing since things are looking like they’re going off kilter....  
“FEFERI IF YOU DOUBT YOURSELF THEN YOU’LL NEVER GET PAST THE POINT OF YOUR OWN NEGATIVITY LINE. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE WE’LL DO GOOD. DON’T LET YOURSELF GET SCARED NOW.”  
“I’m not scared! .... I just don’t want to mess up. But you’re right... I’ll really do my best. I know my responsibilities and I won’t let anyone else carry them out.”  
The red ship gets closer to landing, beginning to blow sand and dust and black cloaks everywhere. The crowd has filled in and everyone is waiting in their positions.  
Reznia seems fidgety, anxious in the back of the crowd. She shifts her weight from one leg to another constantly and bounces her leg and taps her foot. Her grip on Tieono’s hand is tightening and the shorter boy looks up at her.  
“Reznia, relax please. It’ll be okay. We’ve worked super hard for this remember?”  
“I fucking KNOW Tieono, but I hardly trust our own people, and now these new fuckers show up? They’re gonna fuck us up man. We’re gonna get fucked and I’m gonna god damn lose it if they fuck up and get one of us or worse, YOU hurt.”  
“We’re ALL gonna get hurt, it’s inevitable. I’ll get some scratches and bruises and broken bones, but I won’t get so hurt that you’ll have to worry about me! I’m a big boy now Reznia. Let me get hurt a little!”  
“NO. Shut your god damn adorable mouth Tieono.” Her grip tightens again and her eyes start to grow wider with anxiety. Tieono just holds her hand equally as tight and leans his head on her arm with a sigh...  
“Equius?”  
“H-Hm? Yes Tieono?” Equius only moves his head a little to speak. He doesn’t want to cause a stirrup if he doesn’t have to.  
“I’ve been Reznia’s moirail for as long as I can remember. And even though she’s worried about me, I know I can protect myself. How do you deal with Nepeta? She and I seem similar in that department.”   
Equius thinks for a moment and folds his arms. Tavros listens and tries to stay low, shorter so his horns don’t immediately give their position away.  
“I always want to protect Nepeta... Even at this moment I’m worried for her safety if I’m not there to protect her. Even though I know she can protect herself, the thought of her getting hurt makes me feel..... Hm... Sick to my stomach I suppose. But I know that she CAN protect herself. I have to keep myself from rushing in and doing everything for her. She is a person and if I don’t let her grow then I feel like that may be worse...” He nods in conclusion and Tieono follows suit.  
“See Reznia? You could learn something from Equius.”  
“I god damn know you can protect yourself Tieono.... but I’m fucking terrified that if I don’t step in....” She starts gritting her teeth together and making distressed squeeking and grunting noises, followed by some spastic jolts of her arms and shoulders. Tieono takes his free arm and reaches up to touch her face.  
“Hey, look at me.” When Reznia doesn’t respond as if she didn’t hear him, he yanks at her cloaks hood and pulls her down to whisper in her ear.  
Whatever he said to her, it seems to calm Reznia down considerably. She nods her head a little and looks down at the sand.  
“Now. The show’s getting ready to start. Just take deep breaths and remember what I said.”  
“Yeah... I will.”   
Tavros wonders what was said! He sees how worked up Reznia gets, and then how quickly she calms down. What the heck could Tieono have said to her aaaAAAH Dammit, not knowing sucks. But something else worries him.  
“tIEONO, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER TROLLS HERE WHEN THE FIGHT BREAKS OUT?...”  
“Well, Gamzee did a little city meeting thing and told everyone what we were planning to do. Everyone agreed to it. So what Gamzee told them to do was.... run if they wanted to live.” He smiles a bit and that look both worries and excites Tavros.   
“aRE THE PEOPLE THAT DON’T RUN GOING TO FIGHT WITH US?”  
“Maybe. For as long as they’re alive probably. In this city.... there’s nothing left to lose but your life. And to some people here it’s worth dying to help the universe with its cause. The cause of course being taking down that stupid fucking bitch that trapped us here.... People have been trapped here since I think before old Kloshe was born! And that’s bullshit... We’re killing her and getting out of here. Some will die trying to help us all out. And all we can do about them is be grateful for their help and sacrifice and continue on with the fight. We’ll mourn for them afterwards.”  
The boys straight forward and blunt speech sorta makes Tavros wonder if Reznia rubbed off on the kid as a wriggler..... Either way, if he can protect the people fighting then he will... but he understands that not everyone in the city is going to make it.... The city may even be destroyed...  
Tv’s flick on all around the city and radios turn on by themselves. Anything that can emit sounds turns on.....  
“Look, there she is.... She’s coming...”  
Tieono points to the front of the crowd and indeed there the tall and beautiful Condescension is... Her hair is long as always and it flows in the wind as if she were in the water. Next to her.....  
“Sollux....” Feferi sees him and she grits her teeth.  
Sollux stands straight. Tall. He looks well.... He looks a lot like the Psiioniic of course... His horns are taller and his outfit is half black half white with yellow lining.... But on his arms up to his elbows are steal armlets... Feferi just KNOWS that those things are used to keep Sollux in position on the ship...... Karkat has to quickly grab her arm so she doesn’t lose her cool.  
“RELAX FEFERI.... I KNOW YOU WANNA GET IN THERE BUT WE HAVE TO STAY HIDDEN....”  
“Heeeey everyone! Aw look at all you ugly little trolls out there.” The Condesce smiles, her small dimples pulling in. Everyone in the crowd is silent....  
“I’ve seen your guys’ bullshit for the last several sweeps. You think that I haven’t noticed that some of you try to leave? I don’t tolerate shit like that. Riiiight Sollux?~” The Condesce elbows Sollux a little, but he responds quietly. His voice has deepened a little and he doesn’t move an inch.  
“No ma’am....”  
“Oh Sollux...” Feferi covers her eyes a little unable to watch her friend be treated like that... To even imagine that fucking cunt treating Sollux badly makes her blood boil..... She can feel her cheeks get hot with anger, but she controls herself. She can’t let her own desires ruin any plans Gamzee may have set up to fix all of this.... This is the time... She won’t let anything bad happen to her friends. She won’t let them die. That is her number one goal....  
“And so! For your punishment... You will all die.”  
“What?” Sollux quickly looks at The Condesce ad his stance breaks from a straight upright proper guy to questioning and uncertain.  
“Hey, that ii2n’t what you 2aiid we’d be doiing here... What are you talkiing about?”  
“Oh Sollux you naive boy. What the FUCK else would I come to this stupid little shit hole for? These trolls are worthless and they dare to oppose me.... So you’re going to destroy them for me.” Her smirk turns devilish and Sollux steps back.  
“No.... ii won’t. ii won’t hurt them... They don’t de2erve iit at all!”  
“Sollux you WILL obey me.” Her smile quickly turns down and her eyes seem to blaze with fury.  
“Don’t you DARE tell me NO. I have given you an order and you will destroy them, like it or not.” Her eyes glow pink and Sollux grabs at his head. A sharp pain rips through every vein in his body and his eyes spark with psionics.  
“NO! II’M DONE! II’M DONE WITH YOU!!! We can’t keep doiing thii2 to people who don’t—nnn..nnNNNGNNNNGG!!!!”  
Sollux suddenly relaxes his arms, letting them flop in front of him. He stands up straight slowly and his eyes are now glowing and flashing pink red and blue.   
She’s used her mind control on him...  
Gamzee lets off a little fire cracker sound from somewhere...  
Kloshe jumps forward from the middle of the crowd! Eridan Kanaya and Vriska all follow him, yelling. The crowd begins to run around to help hide our trolls until their time comes.  
“Did you miss us you fucking 8itch?!” Vriska shouts as she grabs out her sword.  
“What??” The Condesce looks at the attackers and she seems confused... No, surely she killed Mindfang, Dualscar and that Dolorosa!.... Wait.... no... Those are..  
“The kids??? Sollux! Them first!”  
“SOL YOU PIECE OF SHIT SNAP OUT OF IIIT!!!” Eridan aims his gun at Sollux who goes to blast them with his psionics. The two powers clash together, Vriska and Kanaya and Kloshe duck and jump around the blast to dash at the Condesce in front. Some other trolls are hurt in the blast, but they quickly dash away to hide and recover, some try to help fight with Eridan.  
Vriska swings her sword and Kanaya turns her lipstick into a chainsaw and swings as well.   
“Take this you 8iiiiiiiitch!!!!!!!!” The two girls swing at the Condesce, but the taller woman jumps back.  
Atori and Gamzee jump for her! They grab her, but she turns into water and disappears on the edge of the crowd where Grooga, Chebur, Feferi and Karkat are.   
“Now!” Chebur cries. The four of them jump out and Feferi is the first to attack!  
“HYAAA!!!” She thrusts her trident forward at the Condesce and the taller older troll turns around just in time to move out of Feferi’s way.  
“You!!” The anger in Her Condescension’s eyes is like lava. She was sure..... that she’d killed them!!  
“YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT!” Karkat jumps in and swings his sickle, getting the first scratch on the Condesce’s arm.  
She doesn’t get time to react when Grooga swoops in with his long pointed hammer weapon and swings it at her. She just barely ducks in time when Chebur throws her spear.   
Condy turns into water again and disappears higher into the sky to look down. Everyone is wearing black cloaks though so she can’t see anyone accurately! Fuck! She could have sworn she drowned those fucking kids!! How are they alive?! HOW?!?!  
“NYAA!!” Nepeta jumps off the building’s roof and straight forward ten feet to dig her claws deep into the Condesce’s back, dragging them down hard and ripping into the black wet suit.  
“Gotchya!!” Nepeta screams gleefully. She jumps away before The Condesce swings back at her, only to have Marsho swing his grappling hook around her arms and chest to hold her still while Persha uses her crossbow to shoot at her!!! Water again.  
“Fucking DAMMIT!” Persha smacks her fist on the roof and goes to reload.  
“Watch 0ut!” Aradia and Terezi roll away and stand up when the Condesce stands on the roof with them and swings at the two purple trolls. Aradia cracks her whip and is happy that it loops around the Condesce’s gold laced wrists. She pulls tightly and yanks the Condesce’s weight backwards, leaving her side open to Terezi’s cane, which she swings down hard on the tyrant’s ribs. She disappears after that and the four are left on the roof looking for her.  
“Nepeta! Are you okay?” Nepeta jumps over from a separate roof and nods.  
“Yeah!! Did you see that?! We got her lots! WEE HAA!” She laughs and throws a fist in the air.  
“DON’T G3T TOO 3XC1T3D. W3 H4V3 4 LONG W4Y TO GO.”  
Terezi stands up straight and Persha and Marsho stand up from their positions on their knees.  
“Wow Nice team work you three.” Marsho smiles at the three girls and they all smile.  
“You two did nicely too!”  
“As a team we’re sure t0 get s0me great results. Let’s keep this assault g0ing and n0t give her any time r0 rec0ver!” Aradia throws her fist in the air and Persha smiles widely for once.  
“Yeah! We’ll split up on the roof so when she comes up here we’ll all have a star formation around her so she can’t escape!” She runs off and then Aradia and Nepeta jump away too. Marsho looks over at Terezi.  
“So. Do you trust us now?”  
“1... Y34H. SORRY 4BOUT B31NG 4 J3RK 34RL13R.”  
“It’s understandable. But now we’ve proven ourselves to you right?”  
“Y34H. 1F G4MZ33 B3L13V3S 1N YOU..... TH3N SO DO 1.” She smiles in his direction and then jumps off, leaving Marsho on that roof. He looks down at the crowd running around like crazy, then sees Sollux and Eridan duking it out.  
Sollux finally unbalances Eridan and blasts him with his psionics, sending him flying and crashing into a building. Kanaya feels the vibration and crumbling of the building under her feet. She rushes over while she can and jumps into the smoking hole where Eridan is hidden in.  
“Eridan! Are You Alright?!”  
“F...fine...” Eridan gets up quickly and slicks back his hair a little. Parts of his outfit are burnt, but he’s totally alright with that. Kanaya turns around and sees Sollux rushing at them.  
“EE!!” Kanaya clicks the button on her chainsaw and turns it into a giant white hammer that she swings and slams into Sollux, Pressing the button again so it turns into a bat. Sollux goes flipping off into the air.  
“Phew. That Was Close.”  
“Y-Yeah Thanks.”  
Chebur runs over to Sollux with Feferi, Karkat and Grooga, and quickly gets on one knee with her eyes glowing purple. A large barrier of purple sparks surround Sollux. Grooga’s eyes also glow and he jumps up and grabs Sollux from the air.  
“EEEAAAAHHH!!!!!” Sollux struggles violently, blasting anything he can with his psionics. They’re held back considerably though!  
“T-they’re doing it Karkat!”  
“DON’T GET TOO EXCITED! HE COULD BLOW AT ANY MINUTE! WHEN HE MANAGES TO CHILL OUT YOU TAKE HIM OUTTA HERE AND HIDE HIM SOMEWHERE!”  
“No. YOU’LL take him!” Karkat looks over at Feferi and sees the look of determination on her face... He looks forward again.  
“YOU SURE?”  
“I wouldn’t have said so if I wasn’t sure!” She nods and grasps her trident tightly.  
“I’m not gonna half ass this job Karkat! When you hide Sollux get your butt back here. I know he’ll be okay!”  
“YOU GOT IT YER HIGHNESS.” Feferi quickly looks at him and blushes a little, pushing him. Karkat just laughs, but quickly gets his guard back up when Sollux actually manages to wriggle out of Chebur’s thick voodoo barrier. It shatters and sparks everywhere, but Grooga won’t let go!  
“Grooga!”  
“I’ve got him! For a little longer! Try again!!”  
“Yeah!” Her eyes dim and then brighten up even more so than before and the jolts come back and surround Sollux and Grooga. Sollux screams and yells and flails.  
But again he breaks the barrier, and this time he throws Grooga off and turns his head, blasting him hard with pent up psionics.   
“GROOGA!!!” Chebur stands up and rushes past Karkat and Feferi and jumps up at Sollux and grabs his hair, lands on the ground on her feet and smashes Sollux’s head in the ground.  
Yet Sollux uses his powers to push himself up and he spins around quickly and slashes Chebur deeply across her face. She backs up only long enough to grab at the sting, and Sollux kicks her in the throat not a second afterwards. Feferi and Karkat can’t get there fast enough to stop it, but they get there just a half second afterwards and pounce on the boy.  
“SOLLUX CUT IT OUT!!” Karkat has to punch his poor friend in the face before he gets his face torn off by the red and blue electricity that blasts out of Sollux so hard the wind picks up and blows any loose hair and clothing in the opposite direction. In the ground are deep tears in the dry desert floor and there is a giant hole in one building, causing it to collapse and blow sand and dust everywhere.  
“LOOK MAN WE’RE NOT PALE BUT I WILL FUCKING PAP THE SHIT OUT OF YOU IF YOU DON’T SNAP OUT OF IT RIGHT FUCKING NOW!”  
“Karkat let me try!”  
“HUH?” Karkat looks back at Feferi who walks up to him, but Sollux looks back at him and Feferi.  
“Oi wwatch it!” Eridan jumps in and yanks Feferi’s arm and Karkat’s collar backwards as more beams fly by into the air, blowing everyone almost totally away from him. Yet they manage to keep their ground.  
“Eridan!”  
“If you’re gonna do somefin’ Fef then you better hurry the hell up! Wwe’vve got your back.” Eridan nods at her and then Feferi quickly turns and runs over to Sollux. Karkat doesn’t look at Eridan but...  
“YOU—“  
“Shut your mug Kar. I ain’t sayin’ it again.” The two are silent then.... and Karkat nods a little to himself...  
“Sollux!” Feferi does her best to sound full of authority. She tries to sound like the Condesce...  
“Listen to me! You and I both know you don’t want this!” Sollux staggers to his feet and everything around him becomes staticy.   
Eridan suddenly is filled with worry and anxiety... Something bad is going to happen....  
“Fef.... Feferi come back!”  
“No!! I have to make him st—“  
“FEF LISTEN TO ME!!” Eridan runs forward and everything suddenly turns white with energy. The ground shakes violently and a heat none of them have ever felt overcomes them....  
It feels like an entirely new world... It’s so bright that even squeezing their eyes tightly doesn’t keep it from blinding them. The sound rumbles and is almost deafening, shaking the ribs of anyone near by...  
When the ground stops shaking, Eridan has Feferi in his arms and them and Karkat are on the ground next to each other. They’re mostly unscathed somehow.  
They hardly have time to register what the fuck just happened before hearing pained grunting above them.  
Karkat shakes his head a little and rubs his eyes, trying to hear better... Everything is ringing. But he looks up and sees big giant Gamzee on his hands and knees over the three of them. Karkat’s red eyes go wide and he sits up.  
“GAMZEE!” This is when he realizes he has a deep burning sizzling gash on his right arm. His red blood pours down his arm, but the pain is almost nonexistent with the amount of worry filled in him right now.  
“DoN’T WoRrY AbOuT Me b-bRo.”  
“You fuck!!” Eridan sits up and sees Gamzee.  
“Wwha... Gam? Did you...”  
“WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT LOOK LIKE ERIDAN?” Feferi sits up now and she gasps at Gamzee.  
“O-Oh my god... Why?”  
“A-ArE YoU AlL FuCkIn’ StUpId? WhAt dO YoU FuCkInG MeAn /wHy/?” Gamzee laughs a little and actually stands up, wincing a lot, but powering through it.  
“DoN’T FuCkIn’ MaKe mE ExPlAiN! hUrRy uP AnD FiNd tHe cOnDeScE! sHe’s gOnNa fLoOd tHe pLaCe iF We dOn’t cAtCh hEr aSs qUiCk lIkE!”  
“Y-YEAH!”  
“Kar you’re just gonna—“  
“HE’S THE MAN WITH THE PLAN ERIDAN AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING! I’M GONNA DO WHAT HE SAYS!!” Karkat yells as he runs off to look for anyone who might be fighting Her Imperious Condescension.   
Feferi stands up with Eridan and looks at Gamzee. She feels terrible that that happened.... but she wonders if it was in any of the cycles.... that maybe Gamzee already knows that she’s sorry.... So she nods at Gamzee and rushes off.  
Eridan looks at Gamzee quickly and stays quiet a moment.  
“You’re actually hurt you idiot?”  
“YeP. bUt tHiS AiN’T NoThIn’. wE AiN’T EvEn gOt tO ThE GoOd pArTs yEt mY BrOtHeR. dOn’t lOsE YoUr wIlL To lIvE, gOt iT?”  
Eridan’s eyes go a little wide at that statement...... Then he becomes serious.  
“Got it.” He runs off, leaving Gamzee there to gather his bearings...  
Off on the other side of the crowd, Vriska, Terezi and Nepeta have ganged up on the Condesce who’s reappeared! Vriska’s brought out her gun at this point and the bullets actually seem to have some effect when they hit her. But this giant sea hitler is strong. She easily smashes Terezi and Vriska away, leaving Nepeta to jump up and pull her legs up high so her shins don’t get hurt when the Condesce swings low at her. Nepeta lands on one end of the bitch’s trident and takes two long strides up it and slashes her claws at her face! The Condesce leans back, but Nepeta cuts off some of the long flowy hair with a smirk. Her cat eyes stare into the pink ones as if in slow motion. The Condesce glares and her symbol on her tiara glows a little. Nepeta feels confused for only a second before being blasted away by psionics.  
“Thank you Sollux dear!~” Sollux floats over to her and lands.  
“They...”  
“Hm?~”  
“Aren’t.... they....” Sollux’s voice starts to come out more smoothly even through the mind control and Her Condescension looks over at him irritated.  
“NO. You don’t know them at all.”  
“Y0u D0 kn0w us S0llux!!” Aradia shouts from a roof. He looks back to see her.  
“Ara......dii...a???”  
“NO. You do NOT KNOW HER. You killed your friends already fool.” The mind control becomes stronger and Sollux’s face goes flat again and he faces Aradia.  
“KILL her you idiot!”  
“N0! S0llux! I kn0w what y0u’re g0ing thr0ugh is hard b—“ She’s cut off when she has to jump to another building top to escape the attack of red and blue. Aradia can’t even stop to look down at Sollux because he’s not even pausing his attacks, he’s just going all the way and following Aradia’s heals as she runs and jumps.  
Tavros, Equius, Reznia and Tieono wait very impatiently.  
“Why can’t get in there right now? Tieono I’m becoming very frustrated.”  
“I know Equius. But we really do have to wait! I promise when we go out there it’ll be when they need us most. Atori will tell us when to come out. And when he gets here and taps your shoulder Equius, we all run out and attack. So until then please try to keep still. Also, Tavros. Gamzee is okay. That blast was nothing compared to what will happen soon he’s told me. So just be prepared okay?”  
“y.....yEAH...” Tavros had to shield his eyes from the white light that time when Gamzee was hurt, but he saw the aftermath and had to be held down by Reznia so he wouldn’t rush out there. But to hear that things will get even worse petrifies him.... After all the training they did to get stronger, he can still feel his weak scared self from before... His helpless self...   
Then he reminds himself. He didn’t work this hard to pussy out. Tavros is gonna get the fuck in there and not fuck around.  
From behind Sollux, Kanaya swings her bat at Sollux’s head, cracking him a good one and making his psionics stop nearly ripping off Aradia’s feet.  
“Sorry!! Sorry Sorry Sorry!” Kanaya can’t help but apologize as she hits Sollux a few extra times to keep his eyes closed. Condy however doesn’t stand for that shit. She swings her leg back and slams her heal into Kanaya’s face, flipping her 360 degrees around head over heels and skidding on her back. Her dress tears a little, but her broken bloody nose hurts more than anything. Terezi jumps in and goes for that rib she cracked on the Condesce earlier and stabs her with her canes built in sword.  
“EEYAA!! WORTHLESS VERMIN!!!” As the pink witch swings down Terezi manages to jump back and then flip forward, almost getting another cut on her torso, but missing just barely.  
“How are you stupid kids still alive?!”  
“YOU N3V3R K1LL3D US OBV1OUSLY! 4LTHOUGH 1 H4V3 TO 4DM1T 1 TH1NK W3 GOT LUCKY. BUT NOT TH1S T1M3. TH1S T1M3 TH1S 1S GONN4 B3 4LL SK1LL!” She lunges forward and of course Condy jumps back, which allows Vriska to jump forward from behind Condy and thrust her blue sword into the witches back.   
“AAAAHHHGH!!” The Condesce turns to water and disappears, leaving Terezi and Vriska facing each other.  
“Nice! We got another one on her!”  
“Y43H. DON’T L3T 1T G3T TO YOUR H34D THOUGH!”  
“Yeah right.” Vriska smiles and turns around, looking for her enemy again. Atori jumps above them to kick away the trident that was ready to strike Terezi down.  
“Pay attention girls!”  
“S-Sorry!”  
“TH4NKS!”  
“You... fucking juggalo!”  
“We’ve had it with you, Your Shittiness. You don’t own us anymore! You don’t own this city or it’s people!!”  
“Where the fuck.... is Kurloz?!”  
“Dead!”  
Condy’s face stretches in shock.... then scrunches together with anger.....  
“How could he have died?! Worthless piece of shit!”  
“Gamzee killed him of course!”  
Her eyes go wider now....  
“That fucking.... little brat?!”  
“I AiN’T LiTtLe aNyMoRe mOtHeRfUcKeR.” Gamzee jumps down next to Atori, shaking the immediate area a little. He stands up straight and smirks at her.  
“HeLlO AgAiN WhOrE.”  
“No... way...” She gets angrier and angrier. He’s large... and he’s almost as menacing as his predecessor...   
“YOU killed The Grand higblood?!”  
“YeP! aNd nOw i’m tHe gRaNd hIgHbLoOd. So yOu bEtTeR ReCoGnIzE Yo!”  
“You could never be even half the troll leader he was...”  
“YoU’Re rIgHt. CuZ I’M EvEn mOrE Of a lEaDeR ThAn hE WaS. hE DiDn’t lEaD, hE TeRrIfIeD EvErYoNe iNtO FoLlOwInG HiS OrDeRs! AnD I KnOw tHaT’S WhAt yOu tHiNk lEaDiNg iS, bUt iT FuCkInG IsN’T!”  
“You naive little boy.... Do you realize what you’ve done?!”  
“YeP. i tUrNeD ThE TaBlEs oN YoU, tHaT’S WhAt i dId. AnD YoU KnOw wHaT? i kIlLeD HiM A LoOoOnG TiMe aGo. ThE MoMeNt i gOt tO ThIs wOrLd i fUcKiNg cUlLeD HiM JuSt lIkE He dEsErVeD!”  
“Impossible..... How could you beat him?!”  
“He tRaInEd mE GoOd i gUeSs.”  
“Hmph. I guess he did. Funny, seeing as how he was totally brain dead.”  
“AnD It’s yOuR FaUlT ToO, yOu fUcKeR. iF YoU DiDn’t fUcK Up oUr sOcIeTy sO FuCkInG MuCh tHeN He wOuLdN’T HaVe hAd tO Go tHrOuGh tHe sHiT He dId, AnD He wOuLdN’T HaVe tUrNeD OuT To bE A BiG FuCkInG AsShOlE! tHiNgS CoUlDa bEeN DiFfErEnT! bUt yOu fUcKeD It aLl uP. aNd nOw wE’Re gOnNa fUcK YoU Up fOr aLl tHe sHiT YoU’Ve dOnE. aNd tHiS NeW GeNeRaTiOn iS GoNnA RoCk tHe fOuNdAtIoNs tHaT YoU SeT Up aNd wE’Re gOnNa pIlE DrIvE It aNd bUiLd rIgHt tHe fUcK OvEr iT LiKe iT NeVeR ExIsTeD!!”  
“Cute how you phrased that. Because no matter what I’ll always have made the building blocks your wretched generation will never get to build on!!” She charges the boys and of course Gamzee just grabs the trident and shakes it hard and throws the Condesce away. She flips in the air and floats with her powers.   
“Bastard!!!”  
“HeHe.” Gamzee snaps the trident in two with his bare hand and then jumps at her.  
While Gamzee deals with her, the others try to gang up on Sollux.  
Marsho tries to tie up Sollux with his grappling hook rope, and when Persha tackles him and wraps her arms and legs around him, Nepeta pounces on her back and forces Sollux to his face.  
“Sollux come on!” Nepeta slaps at Sollux’s face and receives screeching shouts from him.  
“I’m gonna try this again.” Feferi rushes over, surrounded by most of her friends. She puts her hands up to her temples and focuses hard.... The symbol on her tiara.... starts to glow. She’s trying to reverse mind control Sollux.  
“I....n-need a little h-help....”  
“I’ve got it!” Chebur comes over again a little woozy and bleeding quite profusely out of the deep slices on her face. Grooga jogs up next to her very burnt up but he seems mostly unfazed by it.  
“Are you gonna 8e okay Chebur?” Vriska looks at the taller troll running over to them and then half skidding to a stop by Feferi.  
“I’ll be fine. Reznia’s done worse honestly.” She immediately gets to work trying to calm Sollux down with her powers. Her and Feferi work hard for several minutes. Atori and Kloshe work hard to keep The Condesce away from the kids and they fight hard, white sparks flying in the air when claw meets back up trident.  
Atori and Kloshe make eye contact for just a second and they know what to do. Atori, being the taller man jumps in the air and flips forward many times and then Kloshe jumps up. They two grab hands and Atori flings Kloshe at the Condesce as hard as he can.  
“WHA—“ The old man curls up into a ball and then extends his legs out and kicks the witch in the stomach hard. So hard in fact that they two of them go flying into a building that crumbles in the formation of a crater upon impact. Kloshe jumps away, but the condesce grabs his ankle and swings him down into the building. Before Kloshe and the building connect though, Atori is there to grab him and twist him away from the icy fish lady’s grasp and kicks off another building to get a little distance. The two men land on their feet, and as Condy tries to get out of the wall, Gamzee is above her, swinging down his giant white spiked club!!!!  
The Condesce gasps and raises her hand, like she was gonna stop it.  
The noise that happens is not what Gamzee or anyone was expecting. A red drone has protected the Condesce with its huge red arm.  
“DaMmIt! BeAt iT!” he’s cut short when another drone from above flies in and smashes Gamzee down into the building, the two huge forms disappearing. Condescesion flies up into the air and thrusts her trident up into the air.  
“KILL THEM AAAALLLL!!!!” Out of the silence, a small buzzing noise starts to get louder and louder, the sky emptying its red drones onto the city’s head.  
Tavros goes to stand up, but Reznia holds him down hard.  
“lET ME GO!!”  
“Shut up. You’ll get to help him soon. This is how it has to be for now. He’ll be fine.”  
“Won’t the drones find us anyway?” Equius doesn’t take his eyes off of the battle, watching as Atori rushes over towards Gamzee and Kloshe goes to get the Condesce.  
“Not if you two keep the FUCK quiet they won’t. That’s why we’re here. We’re here for pure strength reasons. You two are some of the strongest of your group and we’re two of the strongest in our group. When they start to be able to not handle things, we get in there and we god damn fucking handle them! But right now things are fine as they are. Look.” She points over to the larger group of trolls working on Sollux.  
“They have it under control. And when they fix that mustard brat they’re gonna hide him in a building that’s less likely to get fucking smashed, so when he wakes up and sees you shit heads are alive and stuff he’ll come out defying the master he served all this time because she’s lied to him this whole time YOU FUCKING KNOW ALL OF THIS. And when he comes out is around the time we’ll need to come out from hiding. Gamzee, Kloshe and Atori will be fine. Gam says the drones aren’t that hard to beat. And again that’s probably around the time we’ll need to show up. Atori will get over here and touch your shoulder horse boy and then we get in there while he gets to the little Condesce.”  
“To Feferi? Why??”  
“Well because the Condesce will try to kill her of course! If there’s no opposing troll trying to get the position then she’ll rule the fucking universe forever. So of course Atori has to go over there and save her. Look you fucking idiots, just go with the flow. All of this is supposed to happen so any movements you make will be predetermined and we’re gonna hope that this time is the best time.”  
Tavros eventually relaxes in her grasp and grits his sharp teeth.  
Equius looks down at Tavros finally and sees the fury in his dull orange eyes..... They almost look like embers slowly growing hotter with rage.... He looks over to his group of friends off in the distance trying to help Sollux out...  
Feferi is focusing so hard.... She almost looks like she’s in pain. The Condesce’s mind control is so much more advanced than hers...... Even with Chebur’s help it’s a monstrous task. Grooga jumps off suddenly into the air, the eyes of the trolls not holding down Sollux dart up to see what’s happening. Grooga slams himself into a red drone, grabs it and then throws it on the ground. A screech blares out of the red robot, but Grooga lands and crushes it’s head with his feet.  
“Try to hurry this up girls! We won’t last long if they start swarming us!”  
“We’re working on it!”  
“EAH!!” Sollux electrocutes Persha and Nepeta who are on top of him, but they stay on him and hold on tightly.  
“Come on Sollux! You’re our friend! We’re all here to save you from that jerk!!” Nepeta yells.  
Feferi doesn’t feel so good.... this mind control stuff is hard and she never got to master it...  
Emotions start to flow into Feferi that aren’t her own. Memories that don’t belong to her.... Her eyes flash open glowing bright pink and her sight turns black. Sparks of memories appear before Feferi’s eyes and all she can do...  
Eridan leaps in front of Feferi, back to back and aims his gun at an approaching drone. He charges the rifle up and he gets ready to pull the trigger.  
is watch...  
TBC


	17. THE END OF EVERYTHING

LAST TIME  
()  
Emotions start to flow into Feferi that aren’t her own. Memories that don’t belong to her.... Her eyes flash open glowing bright pink and her sight turns black. Sparks of memories appear before Feferi’s eyes and all she can do...  
Eridan leaps in front of Feferi, back to back and aims his gun at an approaching drone. He charges the rifle up and he gets ready to pull the trigger.  
is watch...  
()  
Sollux sits in a chair across a long table. On the other end is Her Condescension.  
“Eat up Sollux! I don’t want you to feel sick when you’re needed at the helm again!” She sounds concerned for him but Sollux seriously doubts it. But he knows she won’t poison him or try to kill him. He knows she needs him.... so he eats slowly. Days pass slowly this way. After a couple sweeps of doing nothing but powering the ship, eating and using the bathroom he begins to notice his clothes getting tighter and smaller on him... His pride and unwillingness to ask for help keeps the clothes small until they no longer are able to fit him. Soooo he just walks around in his boxers. For a couple days.   
Condy finally sees him when they are walking down the same hall at each other.  
“Wh-What the fuck are you doing in just your underwear?!”  
“None of your damn bu22iine22.”   
Acting time.  
“Oh Sollux please! I just want to know why...”  
“Well iif you were payiing any attentiion.... then you would have notiiced that my clothe2 were two 2mall on me. 2o now they don’t fiit and thii2 ii2 all ii have.”  
Condesce sighs a little and walks up to him more. Sollux puts his head down..... But inwardly remembers himself and looks up quickly. Don’t show this bitch any weakness.....   
“Sollux darling REALLY this is—“  
“Don’t fuckiing pretend you liike me or anythiing 2tupiid liike that. ii know ii’m ju2t your battery, ju2t liike the P2iioniic. And 2iince ii’m the only one who can power thii2 2hiity ve22le, the lea2t you could do ii2 take decent care of me and get me new clothe2. ii 2tiill grow you know.” He glares at her a little with his bicolored eyes and the Condesce just stares down at the rather short boy... then shrugs.  
“Well I can’t have you walking around my ship almost naked. I’ll get you new clothes whenever you get bigger.”  
“You’re an awful excu2e for a 2ub2tiitute lu2u2.”  
“I’ve never had to raise a wriggler gimmie a break!”  
“Giive you a break.” Sollux scoffs and rolls his eyes like a typical teenager.  
“Look punk, I’ll get you some clothes. Thennnn how about we eat some cake?~” She smiles at him and Sollux shutters.  
“ii hate cake. iit’2 two 2weet.”  
“You hate CAKE??? Well that won’t do. I’m gonna make a cake you will NEVER forget.”  
“We’ll 2ee. ii’m gonna head to the round room.”  
“Sure. Come find me in an hour.”  
“Whatever...” He quickly walks away and the Condesce looks after him... with a small smirk.  
Sollux gets to the round room which is literally a round room and a circular table in the middle with the Pisces sign in the center. Why the fuck would she do that, no one else even lives here, who the FUCK else could it belong to?... He rolls his eyes sky high and goes over to sit on one of the many couches and looks out the window... Space is so lonely... Sollux remembers what it was like living in that escape pod with his friends. It was hard because it was so small. But the view was always nice... when there was someone he cared about to share it with. He misses the way Gamzee would always get worked up when he saw something cool and then hurt his then injured leg and Vriska would laugh at him for being stupid... How he and Karkat bonded a lot more and talked about how glad they were to be each other’s friend. Of course they never outright said it, but both of them understood how the other felt. They even watched romcoms that Karkat made Sollux download on his laptop way before any of that shit had gone down. And then they’d all just have movie night and then fall asleep together in a big jumble of rainbow trolls and those were some great times. The smiles of his friends kept him positive.  
And Feferi... She was always so happy and.... eye roll. BUBBLY. She made him so happy and sometimes when everyone was asleep they’d cuddle and just be glad to be in each other’s presence.   
And even Eridan. Normally in the troll world the person IN the red quadrant wouldn’t feel any remorse for coming out on top. But he sorta felt bad for Eridan. Sollux can only imagine how he must have felt. He didn’t care much at the time but now he knows how much restraint Eridan must have had to just stay quiet about it while on the pod. Everyone was so great and even though OTHER shit was going down he was glad to see friends that had died in the fight when they were in the veil... Ah man they only ever really all got together when they were fighting this stupid Condesce bitch... and now because of her and because of him......  
All Sollux can feel now is deep regret and pain. He used to be totally fine being alone. Yet even then he had his lusus. Even though they didn’t talk much or whatever it was still something he knows he took advantage of. If Sollux knew any of this crap was gonna happen he would have been less of an asshole.  
Now it’s all over though. And all he can do is be the power source for this stupid fucking ship.  
And right on que he looks up at the clock. It’s been an hour. Sigh. He stands up and trudges back to the front of the ship. He doesn’t find her in the kitchen or at her throne or whatever so he checks—oh she’s in the control room.  
“What are you doiing iin here?”  
“Me? I fucking own this ship twerp I go wherever I want.” She turns around and folds her arms. Sollux just shrugs, trying to hide how nervous he is. He just has a bad feeling...  
“So I got you some clothes! Tada!” They’re a small and redesigned outfit that looks awful similar to the Psiioniics... It just adds to his bad feeling.  
“Why do they look liike that?”  
“Huh? What do you mean WHY? Because they’d look good on you and it was the only one I had on hand!”  
“ii2 iit a fuckiing one2iie??”  
“I can make it a TWOsie if you like.” Condy smiles and giggles a little at her TWO joke, but Sollux just makes the biggest eye roll he can POSSIBLY manage without hurting himself. The reaction gets another giggle out of the woman.  
“Come on just put the damn thing on. You ain’t walking about my ship in just boxers, show some decency!” She hands him the outfit and Sollux takes it and looks at it. When he looks on the back of it he sees a little dried and very old yellow blood on it..... Condy sees his nervous face.  
“Oh just reLAX Sollux!” How can he? All he can picture is his poor old ancestor shrinking to fit the size of this outfit... Even though Sollux is older now, the Psiioniic was still much taller than him. And seeing this small outfit with his blood on it reminds him that his ancestor went through such a terrible time in here. In this room. It’s the only room he was ever in, for hundreds of sweeps and through the vast glub. Sollux feels so bad that anyone had to go through this pain...   
But inside he knows that if his ancestor could deal with the pain and still power this stupid ship... then he could too. There’s nothing else for him to fight for. All he has is this memory of that great man who’s face he still remembers clearly. And how happy he looked when they talked and trained together. It was only a short while, but it was so nice to be with someone who went through so much and taught Sollux so many things. He recalls the Psiioniic saying that even though the pain of the chambers tentacles holding him was incredible and unbearable at times, he could feel some sort of disgusting love for the Condesce. “I went crazy” he said. “After hundred2 of 2weep2 of being in that damn thing, the only per2on I ever 2aw wa2 the Conde2ce. And after all that time my heart told me that I loved her. But my body and my mind told me 2he wa2 di2gu2ting and a terribly murderer. 2omeone who’d taken my be2t friend away from me and crammed me into her 2hip 2houldn’t be loved the way I loved her. It wa2 the ultimate betrayal to my family and everything we worked 2o hard to achieve...”  
“Sollux?”  
“Huh?” Sollux snaps out of his memories and looks up at the condesce who looks confused.  
“Are you gonna get it on or what?”  
“Uh... yeah...” He slips his legs and arms in and it fits him perfectly. It’s warm, but he’s disturbed that the soles are built into the onsie on his feet. SUPER WEIRD. He can feel that the arches are a little more arched than his own and the toes are a little more pointed, but not enough to bother him.  
Sollux slips his fingers through the yellow gloves that only go on his pinkie, ring and thumbs, leaving his middle and index fingers uncovered. The point of this design? No fucking clue.  
When he slips the headpiece around his forehead he notices it keeps his hair out of his face just enough so it doesn’t bother him. That’s sorta nice... But he still isn’t sure how he feels about this.  
Pride that he is wearing something so amazing from someONE so amazing... or fright that he’s now in the position of that person...  
“It looks good on you!”  
“Diid you love hiim?”  
“What?”  
“ii fuckiin a2ked you iif you loved hiim.” Sollux looks up at her with bright eyes behind thick glasses and the Condesce seems surprised.  
“What the hell is with this question all of the sudden? It ain’t any of your business anyway squirt.”  
“ii ju2t want to know.” Condy stares down at him and is quiet for a while. She quickly goes to the door and looks left and right.... then ducks back in.  
“So what if I did huh?”  
“Why diid you love hiim?”  
“Stop sayin’ it like that it’s embarrassing!” She folds her arms and pouts a little.  
“What could you have love about hiim iif all he diid was 2tay iin thii2 2tupiid cold room for the re2t of hii2 liife?!” Sollux throws his arms out starting to get frustrated. He isn’t sure himself why he wants to know... But he just knows that he WANTS TO KNOW WHY. Why, if she loved him would she keep him in here like she did? Why would she let him suffer by continuing to make him live like that?  
“His... stubbornness. The way he struggled when he worked hard. I liked that even though he didn’t have to power the ship he did.”  
“You diidn’t giive hiim a choiice!!”  
“He did have a choice. Power the ship or die. That simple kid.”  
“That ii2n’t love!!”  
“You don’t know anything.” The sudden acid in her voice makes Sollux straighten up a little with slight surprise. The icy glare that comes from the Condesce is bone chilling and she looks over to the purple tentacles as if seeing something.  
“I don’t... like talking about it.”  
“ii don’t liike talkiing about my dead friiend2, but you pry anyway.” A grouchy sigh rips its way through the Condesce’s throat when she leans against the wall.  
“Look kid. Have you ever even BEEN in a red quadrant?”  
“Yeah ii wa2. Untiil ii...” Sollux is quiet very quickly and feels his stomach catch on fire.... He doesn’t want to let her know that even after ectobiological cloning, the mustard kid and the fuchsia girl were in the red.  
But Condy’s face already is stretched into a wide grin.  
“I see. That little me huh?”  
“2he ii2n’t YOU. And 2he never... would have been.”  
“You so sure about that?”  
“Ye2!!” His lisp is out of control right now and he bites his double tongues, cursing them for making him sound stupid when he’s trying to sound angry and not like a complete loser.  
“Hmmm. Well. Listen. I’m in the same position as you when it comes to that.”  
“What? How could you be?”  
“The one that I loved is dead. And you know what? I killed him on that dead troll planet.”  
“Agaiin you mean.”  
“No not again. I didn’t kill him the first time either. The vast glub killed him. The father I got away from Gl’bgolyb the less control I had over her. And I’d gone too far away, so blah blah stupid shit happened and Gl’bgolyb released the vast glub, killing the Psiioniic. If I could have prevented his dying... I tried to bring him back with my touch... which is why he lived so long of course, but nothing worked. You can’t bring someone back after the vast glub. It’s almost like their souls are torn apart. Which of course we both know is not true. Anyway I killed him on that other planet because I was defending myself.”  
“ii don’t beliieve that you ever loved hiim! You only wanted to keep hiim aliive 2o he could keep poweriing the 2hiip!”  
“You little shit, I don’t have to explain ANYTHING to you! I loved him and you’ll never even get how much I loved him!” Her outburst makes Sollux go silent... hoping she’ll explain more.  
“Even though... he was inside the ship the whole time...” she begins.  
“He was the only one... I liked. He made me feel like I was loved and wanted. We talked a lot and he was just so cute, and handsome! Buuut I’m guessing that answer won’t shut you the fuck up huh?”  
“Nope.” With a heavy groan, the Condesce stands up straight and walks over to Sollux, looking down at him.  
“You were both pretty short. He was only a few inches taller than you are now.” Sollux hadn’t realized it but he had indeed gotten much taller than he thought he had. But of course compared to this HUGE AMAZONIAN WOMAN he is quite short.  
“For the longest time he had that angry face too. He glared at me whenever he could while inside the device. I’d come to visit and he’d hiss at me, OOH would he hiss. But I liked it. He was feisty and refused to give in to me or to my ship. But he knew that I was the only one who even existed and who was alive that was there for him. I was the only one. So... maybe by default he just kinda became fond of me. And I became fond of him. It’s hard to explain. We weren’t a regular flushed pair that’s for sure, but it was there. And I loved coming in to visit him every single day and doing my best to take his pain away. I could only ever take a little bit away because he always worked so hard and was super stubborn so he told me to back off. And I would ignore him and he’d get mad at me. But it was great. Sometimes he’d even smile for me. Just sometimes though. Most of the time he was screaming so... yeah. But...” She turns around and plays absent mindedly with a lock of her stupid long hair.  
“Whenever he was ready to die, I’d step in and give him a sweet kiss. My special life giving touch. And he’d thank me for keeping him alive. And after a long long LOOOOONG time, he started to kiss back.”  
This makes Sollux angry.... This ship made him so crazy that he fell in love with her... Disgusting... Fucking disgusting!!  
“Diid he... forget about hii2 friiend2?”  
“Psh. His FRIENDS. The rebels you mean? Nah. I don’t think he ever FORGOT about them. But I always wished he would. Psiioniic’s blood color was practically made to serve the upper class with the extraordinary powers he and some of his other fellow psychic powered kind had.”  
“Liike me.... You fuckiing thiink ii wa2 made to 2ERVE you??”  
“Well yeah!”  
“Well you’re fuckiing wrong. iit’2 a long 2tory but you’re wrong.”  
“Whatever man. Listen I told you what you wanted me too and if you don’t wanna accept it than fuck you.” She shrugs.  
“Anyway, I made that cake.”  
Sollux is quiet. Why the FUCK would he give a damn about that cake at a time like this?!  
“Get in the machine Sollux.”  
“Wha?”  
“Get in. We’re leaving.” He’s quiet for a long time, not moving an inch. And when he thinks “huh. fine fuck you i’ll get in there without you even asking again”, the large boney hand of the Condesce grabs his throat and practically throws him back. He flails his arms a little and smashes into the back wall where the pink tentacles grab a hold of his legs and arms tightly.  
“What the fuck!!”  
“This is for giving me such a hard time.” Pink goggles come down and wrap around his face and covers his eyes with red and blue glass, and when Sol opens his eyes again he sees the small cake in the witch’s hand. She walks over to him, the click of her flats echoing in the small metal room coming closer.  
“One this is for sure little Sollux.” Her pink nails dig into the cake and rip out a soft moist chunk, the center gooy with...  
“No...”  
“You are no Psiioniic.”  
“Hey, get that 2hiit away from me!”  
“And you never will be. So for being such a shitty brat...”   
“Plea2e!” Without another word, she shoves the piece into his mouth and down his throat, mind honey slowly dripping down his chin.  
“You get to have a little headache for a while.”   
“What the fuck ii2 wrong wiith you?!”  
“Just try to keep high spirits and keep your chin up! It’ll work out SO much better for you if you do.” Her voice goes from happy to a sarcastic dark tone. She leans back and walks out the door with the rest of the cake. For safe keeping for sure.  
“Waiit!!” Sollux can already feel his whole body shaking and becoming numb. He wants to throw up, but he can’t get his hands down from the tentacles to make himself do it. He knows what’s coming. It feels horrible. He starts to get hot and breath harder. No no no no NO NO NO he begs. It always hurts so much...  
But then the tearing pain jolts all throughout his whole body and he sparks violently with psionics...  
Down the hall the Condesce can hear the boy scream for his life as the honey takes effect.   
Some of the lights in the halls become a bit brighter.  
()  
Feferi shakes a little while she has the visions and the others are doing their fucking BEST to keep those damn drones away from her and Sollux and Persha and Nepeta who are doing their best to hold the wriggling Sollux down.  
“Feferi, are you okay?” Chebur asks. She can’t see what Feferi’s seeing??? Maybe for the best.  
“I...I’m... I’m fine!” She feels sick. Her stomach is on fire with how upset she is. But she does notice that Sollux is relaxing a bit.  
“Nepeta! Go help the others! I got Sollux!”  
“Right! Thanks Persha!” Nepeta jumps off and immediately comes into contact with another red fucker and manages to divert it’s path into a building.  
“You two almost done!?”  
“Nearly there! A few more seconds!” Seconds? Had it only been seconds since they started?  
“Please Sollux...... Please please please...” Feferi begs just above a whisper and now does her best to push good memories in to cover up the bad ones...  
She smashes memories in there of her and him laughing together during feelings jams over the memory of Sollux having to watch the Condesce flood world after world, city after city...  
She crams memories of everyone being together and just being happy that they were all happy and lead normal lives. She puts all of their times together and experiences together in there and drowns out the pain and screaming and the laughing of the Condesce. The sounds of Sollux’s own voice begging her to just kill him...  
Finally after five minutes of a huge headache and painful memories, Sollux is still and Feferi and Chebur both relax. Feferi falls to her knees and holds her head with one hand. GOD her head hurts so fuckiNG BAD GOD DAMMIT.   
“Hey! Mister Sollux dude!” Persha doesn’t get off or loosen her grip at all, but she leans forward a little to see his face. He’s panting and his eyes are closed. Surely exhausted from having three people fuck around with his mind.  
“J-just give him a second per-sha.” Chebur pants a little and swallows hard. She feels sick too. It’s not every day she has to deal with any mind control as strong as the Condesce’s.....   
But there’s no time to celebrate. Persha has no choice but to get up and shoot her crossbow right in the joint of an oncoming robot causing it to blow up. “Lucky shot” she thinks.  
Sollux just lays there and feels his mind buzzing. His fingers and toes start to come back to life and he looks a bit confused when he opens his bicolored eyes half way.  
“Wha... huh?” He sits up immediately and looks around. He sees Feferi but then is super confused. What the hell happened to the Condesce?  
“What happened to YOU?”  
Feferi looks up quickly at Sollux and then......  
“F....Feferii...?”  
“Sollux?” Feferi’s voice shakes and she smiles the biggest she ever has.  
“Sollux! Yes! Feferi! We’re all here! We’re not dead! She lied to you! See I’m real!” She reaches forward and touches his face lightly with shaking hands. All she can do to relieve her pent up excitement is to laugh and begin to cry.  
“Sollux! Oh please say something!”  
“Feferi, I’m super sorry to bug you right now, but we have to get rid of these things!”  
“Wh... R-right! Yeah! I... I have to get Sollux to safety so he can recover!”  
“J-Ju2t hold on a fuckiing 2econd!” Sollux is utterly confused. Is he dreaming? Dead? What the hell....  
Chebur turns around quickly.  
“Well please hurry. I’ll hold them away with Persha for a little bit, but get your asses in there if you can as soon as possible!” The purple troll jumps off with Persha to fight with the others, leaving Sollux and Feferi alone.   
Sollux stares at Feferi and grabs her hands from his face and squeezes them. He feels them ad looks at them and up the arms and to the face of Feferi.  
“iit’2... ii2... thii2 real? Am ii dead?”  
“No! You’re alive! Everyone’s alive! We all went through.... through so much to get you back....”  
“You...” Sollux just... He looks around at the fighting and has to use almost all of his brain power to figure out who everyone is now. There’s Aradia... He KNEW he saw her earlier! A-and there’s Vriska! God she looks so much like Mindfang it isn’t even funny. Oh oh! Terezi! She looks great. Wow. Oh shit, and there’s Kanaya! Oh holy shit dude. Nepeta! She doesn’t look like she changed a ton. Her hat and tail are gone but those claws and those movements are unmistakable.  
“ii2 that.... Eriidan?” He spots Eridan standing directly under a darting horde of red robots ad pointing his rifle upward. He blasts a huge beam from his gun and it takes all of them out!... He’s taller and has a different look on his face than he’s ever seen before... and.  
“Whoa.... that ii2 NOT Gamzee.....”  
“It is! He’s the one... that’s worked that hardest out of any of us. He’s done so much to get us all together again so we could save you!”  
“Really?.... But why?” He looks at Feferi and can’t believe how much his heart aches right now. Sollux doesn’t even wait for an answer and he just hugs her so tightly he worries he might be hurting her. But when she hugs back just as tightly all he can feel is.... the happiest he has EVER been in his entire life......  
“Fef.... Feferii... Oh god... Oh my god...” Sollux can’t hold back any longer. His friends! The girl he loves! Excuse him, the WOMAN he loves... She’s here. They’re all here.... He’s sure Tavros and Equius are hiding somewhere but holy sufferer on a rock everyone is here... He’s so happy he wants to explode. He wants to fucking SCREAM with how happy he is. How cheerful, joyous, elated, euphoric, ecstatic he is...  
Sobs wrack his body mixed with laughter at this most wonderful thing that’s happened to him....  
Feferi cries too hugging him tight enough that she can feel the pulse of his warm yellow blood flowing through him.  
Eridan looks back to see if any changes have happened with Sollux, and when he does he sees the most passionate, deepest kiss he’s ever seen in real life. And oddly enough, it doesn’t make him angry or sad... In fact it makes a content smile rise onto his lips. Feferi’s happy and they have their friend back. Mission mostly accomplished. He’s... so happy that things worked out like that for them. It’s a true love he can appreciate.  
But above him he sees the slim long shadow of the Condesce flying through the air at the two. Anger boils now in his purple veins. How dare this fucking bitch try to ruin something so perfect.  
He aims his gun at her and shoots, but she spins around in the air and... and hits the blast away!!  
“OI SOMEONE GET HER!!!” He screams.   
Feferi and Sollux look away from each other and up at the Condesce. It all happens in a second.  
Atori jumps over and touches Equius’ shoulder then rushes off.  
Equius pulls back an arrow and fires. Reznia, Tieono and Tavros all rush out of hiding AT LAST and go right for the Condesce!!  
The arrow pierces the Condesce’s arm, throwing her aim off and actually carrying her many feet away. She screams in pain and is suddenly stuck when the arrow smashes into a wall, pinning her arms together.  
Everyone rushes by them, Tieono first, then Reznia, And then Tavros. Equius gets out last and goes to another hiding place. Equius can’t help but smirk a little happy that he could help. They were indeed needed when they were needed most. Just as Reznia said. The Condesce would try to kill Feferi. Even so he wants to avoid using brute force until he has to. So for now he’ll stick to stealth shooting. But when he runs out of arrows it’s fucking GO TIME.   
Tavros looks at Feferi and Sollux as he passes by and smiles.  
“hEY SOLLUX! lONG TIME NO SEE!”   
“Tavro2...” Sollux can’t believe he’s gotten so tall and buff looking. Holy cow. He looks so much like Summoner it’s ridiculous. Sol peeks quickly to see if he can spot Equius, but he figures it’s best if he doesn’t see him right now if he’s going for stealth.  
“Let’2 go Fef!”  
“W-wait! Don’t you need to rest?” She worries of course...  
“ii’ve had iit... wiith waiitiing. And not fiightiing back. We’re makiin thii2 happen Feferii!”  
“R...Right!” She stands up and tries to get herself together. Sollux stands up and looks at the height difference between him and Feferi. He’s actually exactly her height now. She used to be taller than him but now they’re even.  
“Ready?” He says. Feferi looks at him and takes his face and gives him another kiss.  
“Yeah. Alright first thing’s first. The other purple trolls with face paint like Gamzee are on our side. Trust them completely and everything will go fine.”  
“2...2eriiou2ly?”  
“I know this must be hard Sollux.... but those seven are the most loyal to Gamzee. And what Gamzee wants they want. We all want to kill the Condesce. So trusting them is key. If you can’t trust them, then trust me.” Sollux looks at her intently for a few seconds... He’d do anything for Feferi.  
“Alriight. ii tru2t you. We gotta get riid of tho2e drone2. Thii2 ii2n’t even the extent of their power2. I mean.... ii can take them out easy enough, but when they swarm liike thii2 iit’2 utter chao2.”  
“Yeah I noticed... Gamzee didn’t mention this happening before.”  
“Before?”  
“it’s a super long story... I’ll tell you as we go!” A few drones fly down to Feferi and Sollux and she swings her trident up and stabs it right through the head and then smashes it into the ground.   
Sollux’s eyes go wide as he takes a step back. Feferi has always been a fierce fighter... but just seeing her do that makes him even more happy. Feferi looks back at him and looks ready to attack. This face is easy for him to spot. He turns around and zaps a second one and totally disintegrates it. Feferi deals with the third one by hitting it in the legs when it lands and then stabbing it in its chest then yanking up, using the barbs on the tips of her trident to tear out cords.   
Feferi explains things as they go about their fighting and destroying the drones with everyone else. Sollux can’t believe what he hears. So many cycles and so many attempts and failures. Even so... he feels confident about this time. He can’t believe that he never noticed time shifting. But maybe that’s the point. Amazing... Gamzee did all of this to save him and get the whole group together again... Everyone worked so so so hard to get him back....  
He’s never felt more loved. More important.  
He can’t let everyone down in this cycle. He WON’T.  
The Condesce squirms with her arms still pinned with the arrow. Tieono rushes up to her and dodges some defense kicks and gets a good jaw cracking punch on her. She manages to break free and goes to control Sollux again but Tavros thrusts his lance forward and while the Condesce dodges, the tip of the lance pierces the pink gem in the center. He wasn’t expecting it, but apparently that thing was what allowed her to channel her powers and use it as mind control. With a smirk he jumps up and lets Reznia barrel through and crash herself into the Condesce head on!  
“Who the fuck!”  
“You’re WORST GOD DAMN NIGHTMARE YOU FUCKER!” Reznia screams and goes apeshit while she straddles the Condesce. She claws and punches and bites anything she can. Finally the Condesce swings her trident sideways and smashes Reznia in the head, giving her some deep cuts on her head. But it’s like Reznia doesn’t even notice. But what she does notice is a drone swooping her up around her waist and throwing her as hard as it can into the air. She flips around wildly, unable to regain her balance. Tavros gets in there and uses his lance like a fucking bat and swings at the robot, knocking its head right off. It collapses to the ground making a dust plume. In that dust the Condesce disappears. Tieono sticks with him though. He knows Reznia will be back.  
“See her?!”  
“nO!” they stand back to back and look all over.  
“You fought her once right? How was that?”  
“yOU ASK LIKE IT ISN’T OBVIOUS!”  
“You know what I meant!”   
“wELL SHE HAD LIKE, UH, WATER TENTACLES FLOPPING ALL OVER THE PLACE. tHAT ENDED A COUPLE OF ANCESTORS WHEN WE WERE ON THE DEAD PLANET.”  
“Oh good.” Tieono rolls his neck a little with a sigh.  
“I don’t think she’s near us though.”  
“jUST HOLD ON. tHE SECOND YOU THINK SHE ISN’T AROUND SHE /TOTALLY/ IS.”  
Aradia busts a hole into a building and crashes into the boys hard along with some rubble. All three of them go rolling into the ground.  
“aRADIA?! yOU OKAY?” She’s got maroon blood dripping down her arms and legs and sides, and she’s got a black eye and a very badly bruised cheek.  
“0h y-yeah, d-d0ing great Tavr0s.” Tieono helps her sit up and then they all three stand up.  
“How’s it going with the others?”  
“We’re d0ing what we can.” Aradia pants and wipes her bleeding lip with her thumb.  
“The dr0nes are really str0ng, but we sh0uldn’t have expected anything less... Where’s Reznia?”  
“Oh, she went flying a few minutes ago.” Tieono says plainly. Aradia just slumps and inwardly facepalms at his blunt way of speaking.  
“Where’s the C0ndesce?”  
“sHE DISAPPEARED.”  
“Well then we need y0ur guys’ help in the center. The dr0nes are starting t0 0utd0 us.”  
“lET’S GO!” The three of them run quickly out from behind the building Feferi crashed into before and see the sea of red robots and trolls fighting hard. It’s quite a sight to see. Red and blue sparks zap in thick beams in a half circle in the sky, getting rid of a good chunk of the stupid robots.  
“Wow! Is that your friend Sollux?” Tieono’s eyes are wide with awe. That’s amazing that anyone can do something so cool!  
“yEAH! hE’S ALWAYS BEEN REALLY AWESOME WITH HIS POWERS! i’M JUST GLAD WE HAVE HIM BACK. i BROKE THE CONDESCE’S TIARA GEM THINGY SO SHE CAN’T CONTROL HIM OR ANYONE OF US ANYMORE!”  
“Nice g0ing Tav!” The two hive five as they run.   
Grooga and Chebur are now fighting the Condesce.  
“A shame you can’t use your mind control powers anymore huh you stupid piece of shit!?”  
“Fucking punk!!” Condesce yells and dashes at the two, trident up. Grooga ducks while Chebur backflips, and he thrusts his fist up, connecting with the belly of the beast. She flies into the air and Grooga gives Chebur a boost with his hands making her go flying after her. Chebur gets out her spear that she recovered a while ago, and swings down. But Condy rights herself in the air and grabs the spear right out of Chebur’s hand and smashes it down on her shoulder, sending her plummeting to the ground. Of course Grooga goes to catch her, but a drone surprises him and it’s metal shoulder thuds into Groo’s chest knocking him away. Chebur fucking SMASHES into the ground and before she can even think about getting up the Condesce is behind her. She leans down and grabs Chebur’s head just as Grooga destroys the drone.  
“Ah ah ah! Don’t move buddy!” He doesn’t move... Chebur’s worked her powers too much and now she’s too dizzy and disoriented to do anything but sit there.  
“So. How would you like it if I just snapped her head right off? Wouldn’t that make a nice purple shower?”  
“Don’t you..... fucking dare...”  
“Why not? Isn’t it fair? All’s fair in love and war or some shit?” The Condesce starts to move Chebur’s head to an uncomfortable position. A frightening position. Chebur gasps at the surge of pain and grabs up at the Condesce’s wrists, her eyes wide. No. NO.  
NO.  
SHE CAN’T DIE HERE. SHE REFUSES. But how can she get out of this?  
“Any last words little girl?” Grooga’s eyes go wide with panic as his meet with Chebur’s frightened eyes.  
“D....Grooga!... Don’t follow me!”  
“Say goodnight!” The Condesce uses all her might to twist---   
SLICE.  
Karkat’s sickle pierces the stomach of the Condesce and he yanks her back away from Chebur who falls to her hands and crawls away. Grooga runs over to her and picks her up, dashing as far away as he legs can.  
Condesce looks down at her stomach and gasps.  
“Who th-the fuck did... that?!?!”  
“YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME HUH? GUESS THAT WORKED OUT THEN.”  
“The little sufferer?!”  
“NOT SO LITTLE ANYMORE YOU FUCKING CUNT. THIS IS FOR SOLLUX.” He tears his sickle out of her, and before she can do anything else Karkat slices a second one down and cuts off half of her left arm. She SCREAMS and writhes, dropping her trident on the ground.  
“THAT WAS FOR SIGNLESS!!”  
“FUCKING BRAT!!!! I’LL KILL YOU!!!!”  
“THIS IS FOR EVERYONE YOU KILLED ON THAT PLANET!!!” Karkat yanks her hair with both hands and headbutts her with all his might. It doesn’t even hurt he’s so full of adrenaline. The Condesce’s nose breaks and bleeds instantly. But before Karkat can get anymore revenge on her she swings herself down and one leg up and kicks Karkat sideways in the hip, the when he falls and slides, ready to get up all in one movement, she grabs up her trident and dashes at him thrusting that damn fork down. It stabs through Karkat’s leg, and with her heal she kicks him in the face, knocking a tooth out.  
“How DARE you!! My ARM YOU FUCKING PIECE OF MUTANT SHIT!!! GO TO HELL JUST LIKE THE SUFFERER DID!!”  
“FUCK YOU NOOKFUCKER!! WHY DON’T YOU GO TO HELL WERE YOU SPAWNED FROM!?!?” She takes the trident out of his leg and goes to thrust down on his neck. He moves just enough that his neck goes between two of the prongs.  
“WHAT, CAN’T EVEN STAB ME STRAIGHT ANYMORE WITHOUT YOUR PRECIOUS ARM?!?”  
“DAMN YOU!!!” Gamzee jumps in and swings his club so hard that it breaks her spare trident and crashes into her stomach, sending her smashing into many buildings far away. It’ll take her a while to get back from that area for sure....  
“KaR!!” He bends down and uses one big hand to help his moirail sit up.  
“YoU oKaY?!”  
“I’M FINE! THANKS. MY LEG HURTS BUT I’VE HAD WORSE.”  
“WoRsE??”  
“FEFERI, DUH. AND TEREZI? COME ON DUDE I’M NOT A WRIGGLER, WE’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR THIS!! A STAB AND SOME CUTS AREN’T GONNA FUCK ME UP!”  
“GoOd. We GoT sOlLuX bAcK! DiD yOu SeE?!”  
“I DID SEE THOSE GIANT BEAMS OF HIS. HE’S BACK WITH US AGAIN THEN?!”  
“YeAh MaN! We’Re So FuCkInG cLoSe!” Gamzee smiles widely and stands up with Karkat. Karkat just smiles to himself. He’s so glad. Finally all together at last. Now all they have to do is.... well... fuck up all of society as they know it. And he’s totally up for that.  
“SO IT LOOKS LIKE NO ONE IS DEAD YET!”  
“NoPe! ThIs Is ThE bEsT wE’vE eVeR dOnE!”  
“Watch It Gamzee!” Kanaya slides in on her now bare feet and slices a drone in half. In the distance Terezi is smashed into the ground, but she rolls and gets up again.  
“Pay Attention You Two!”  
“SORRY!”  
Gamzee looks around and tries to do a head count of all his people. All of his friends are around and he knows where Equius is hiding. for the most part. He seeeess.... Persha fighting with Atori. looks like Persha’s crossbow got broken or something. He remembers that part. He sees Kloshe and Marsho doing well. Pile driving through the robots like they’re nothing. He.... seems to have forgotten that part. When he looks over to the left he sees Grooga and Chebur sharing a quick kiss, glad that Chebur isn’t fucking dead, and then jump off like the fighters they are. Gamzee recalls many cycles where chebur’s head was ripped off and her body had fallen flat on the ground while the Condesce threw the head on the ground in front of Grooga, who would then occasionally kill himself. Other times he’d just break down and not fight at all, and sometimes fight until he died later on. Luckily that didn’t happen. But he’s missing Reznia and Tieono. Hup, there’s Tieono. So where’s Reznia? Hm... Tieono does’t look worried. This frustrates Gamzee though. He doesn’t remember a lot of this stuff happening. Many things don’t look the same as they did in the previous cycles and it worries him a little. What happened in the timeline to change so much that he’d worked so hard to get perfect? He guesses he can’t worry about it much right now with how many drones are out right now.   
“Gamzee!!” Vriska calls.  
“How’s it goin’ over there in your quiet little thought corner huh?! Don’t just stand there stupid, get in the fr8y!”  
“YeAh, GiMmIe A sEc!” Nepeta is hit by a drone and she flies down right into the waiting arms of Gamzee who doesn’t even look. He seems to remember that part.  
“Th-thanks Gamzee!” She breaths hard and seems to be excited that she can really let out all she’s got finally. Her hair is completely messed up and her clothes are torn. Nepeta looks just like how she should. Like a wild animal. He isn’t totally sure how she managed to hide this beast under her cuteness, but by god she is QUITE the beast in a fight.  
A blue arrow darts faster than any bullet into the drone that hit Nepeta and it explodes in the air. Nepeta smiles and waves in the air, hoping that wherever Equius is, he can see her thanks. Which he does of course. He continues to look around and watch for everyone and make sure they don’t need his help. But he doesn’t see the Condesce anywhere. Damn her. He did see her go flying in the other direction. Maybe he should head over. None of the city’s trolls are in that direction luckily. They are however all fighting for their lives in the teal blooded part of town... He should find the Condesce first though before helping the others. He’s running out of arrows.  
So Equius gets up from his hiding spot and rushes down the empty and rubble littered streets. Any fruit stands that were up are destroyed now and all the food is strewn about on the ground. Beautiful blankets and rugs that were made are torn and blow every which way along with any clothing that was being sold. It’s sad to see the city in such a state, but he knows this is for the ultimate goal so he ignores it all and just looks for that pink bitch.  
The Condesce eventually crash landed in a hive quite a distance away. She can just picture that fucking brat Gamzee saying “Hiverun motherfuckers!” and groans. Standing up she hears the running of that crazy Reznia girl coming right at her. The girl isn’t subtle at all. Looks like she’s all about strength.  
“Gotchya!!!” Reznia screams as she pounces at the Condesce.  
“You’re too loud you shit face!”  
“At least I don’t EAT shit!” The two spew rude comments at each other for a good while and fight head on. Condy is rather impressed with the girl’s persistence and strength, but is getting annoyed that she seems to be losing. Her stomach hurts and bleeds pink blood from that fucking mutant boy, and her nose aches when she scrunches it. She’s had worse for sure but it still fucking hurts.  
The two stop and pant. However Reznia is used to this kind of hard and fast fighting style, so she rushes the Condesce again. But when she goes in for another swipe, Condy turns into water and then into mist. Reznia swings around at the mist.  
“FUCKING COWARD ASS BITCH!! Running away?!?! GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!!!!”  
“Are you alright miss Reznia?” Equius runs up to her and Reznia has to think for a second to remember who he even was.  
“Uh... yeah. Don’t fucking call me MISS ever again.”  
“Ah... yes. Sorry. Where did she go?”  
“If I fucking knew that I wouldn’t be standING HERE DOING NOTHING!! She liquefied and ran off like a stupid bitch.”  
“I see. Let’s get to the center again.” Equius runs off and Reznia follows. The blue blood has to run hard to keep up with the fast woman. Jesus she’s quick!!   
Kloshe holds his own for a long time! Anyone who looks his way is shocked at such an old man fighting so hard for so long on his own. Atori and Marsho alternatively come to check on him when they can and ask if he’s alright, but of course he is. He’s the most experienced one out of all of them.  
“Stop bothering me brats!” He yells at them sometimes.   
By this time Gamzee has gotten back onto the fray and he doesn’t bother asking if Kloshe is okay. Because he knows he is.  
Looking at all of his friends, it’s amazing that even though he doesn’t know what’s going on with this cycle everything seems to be going very well. No one is NEARLY as bloody as previous times. And there’s no fighting within the group. This is damn amazing.  
“Gamzee don’t get distracted!” Kloshe yells.  
“I AiN'T GeTtIn' DiStRaCtEd, I'M In fUcKiN AwE Is aLl!”  
“Well get OUT of awe!”  
“Well well hello there old man!” The Condesce materializes above Kloshe in the air and he looks back, only to get smashed in the face by a trident, rocketing to the ground. He crashes there, amazed at the speed with which he soared. Kloshe doesn’t even notice when he hits the ground that he isn’t moving anymore. His ears ring and he hears Gamzee yelling at him to get up but it’s muffled. All Kloshe can think is “Uh oh.” And uh oh is right. He looks up to the sky and sees a building coming down. It buckles under its’ own weight from all the holes near the bottom and it takes several seconds for Kloshe to see that the fucking building is coming right for him. His eyes go wide and he puts his arm up.   
“KlOsHe!!!!!!” Gamzee screams. NO.....  
The building crumbles and is obliterated when it hits the ground, shaking the whole area not unlike an earth quake. Dust and dirt blow around violently, blasting anyone near it away.  
Gamzee had seen this before... Kloshe had been crushed by the building and his head blew right off and rolled around.  
He doesn’t see a head rolling around this time, but he still feels anger boiling up inside. Kloshe, the old man he trusted so much could be dead because he couldn’t save him....  
But then another blast happens where Kloshe was.   
Vriska and Karkat rush over to throw aside rubble and try to see if they can get in that second blast to Kloshe. But in the center is a purple.... bubble thing. It floats up and inside the bubble is an unharmed Kloshe and Aradia!  
Aradia holds up the... the skull of Xhione the littlest highblood!!  
She lowers it with a relieved sigh. The bubble thing flies to the ground and then pops, releasing the two. Karkat goes over quickly with Vriska.  
“WHAT THE FUCK. KLOSHE, ARADIA ARE YOU OKAY?!”  
“We’re fine!” Aradia states happily, helping Kloshe stand up.  
“Why do you have Xhione’s skull?” Kloshe says exasperated. He almost died so of course he’s a LITTLE shaken up.  
“I felt p0wer c0ming fr0m it s0 I t00k him with me in case he’d c0me in handy. And he did!”  
“Xhione.... But how did you...”  
“I did a l0t 0f digging when I was y0unger. It’s a l0ng st0ry but this is s0rta my thing. It l00ks like he knew s0mething w0uld happen s0 he put a hex 0r s0mething 0n his skull, kn0wing it’d be c0llected by the tr0ll wh0 killed him.”  
Kloshe is amazed. Even in death... Little Xhione is working hard to protect those he cares for...  
It’s almost enough to make the old man tear up. But he controls himself and just smiles under his big mustache.  
“That sounds like him...” In his own mind he thanks Xhione for his help, until they’re all rudely interrupted by drones coming for them.  
“God damn! These things just don’t go aw8y!” Vriska glares and throws her gun aside, realizing she’s out of bullets and pulls out her sword.   
“Gamzee! How we lookin?!” She calls back to him.  
“PrEtTy mOtHeRfUcKiN' gOoD! aIn't nObOdY DeAd yEt aNd wE'Re eVeN ClEaRiNg oUt tHe sTuPiD DrOnEs wItH SoLlUx's hElP!”  
They all look up and see Sollux flying in the sky blowing up and blasting as many of the robots as he can.   
“WEEEEHAAAA!!~~” Nepeta is on the back of one of the red robo fuckers and she’s pulling at its’ wires, controlling its’ flight path.  
“Hi guys!~~” She screams as she flies by.  
“She seems to 8e having fun...” Vriska rubs the bridge of her nose a little from under her glasses until she hears a shout from Feferi. She smashes through one of the last standing bazaar stands and rolls in the dirt. She doesn’t move for a while. Sollux hears the distressed yell but he’s way too far away to help her.  
“2OMEONE GET HER!!” He shouts as a drone cracks him across the face.  
Terezi and Eridan jump in front of her. Eridan shoots, and even though the blast pierces the chest of the beast, gravity still works, so it slides down the beam quickly. When it gets close to them she simply holds out the dragon head end of her cane and pushes lightly on its’ head to stop it. Eridan stop’s the gun and stretches one arm.  
“Pheww. Thanks Terezi.”  
“SUR3 TH1NG. F3F3R1, YOU OK4Y?”   
Feferi sits up and rubs her head.  
“I-I’m fine! I’m sorry!”  
“DON’T B3 SORRY. 4 F1GHT’S 4 F1GHT 4ND SH1T’S GONN4 H4PP3N SOM3T1MES. JUST G3T B4CK UP. 1 CAN 4LR34DY SM3LL HOW GOOD W3’R3 DO1NG. 4ND 1 H34R L3SS BUZZ1NG 4ROUND.”  
“Yeah, there are a lot less of those fuckin’ robots noww. I hate to admit it but Sollux is helpin’ us a great deal. Wwithout his powwers wwe’d be in a heap o’ trouble.” Feferi stands up and shakes the dust from her hair and pats the shoulders of her friends.  
“The Condesce lied to him. She made him believe that he killed us...”  
“Wwhat the fuck?.... That’s loww... Evven I think that’s cruel.”  
“NO K1DD1NG. W3LP. JUST 4NOTH3R R34SON TO FRY H3R 4SS.” The three share a little chuckle, then make a silent agreement to go and fight again.  
Hours and hours of this shit goes by..... There are so many drones... and the Condesce who appears in everyone’s battles is really not helping.  
Everyone is bloody bruised and exhausted....  
Everyone is out in the open in the body parts and dead bodies of robots and the trolls city folk alike who fought hard.   
Even Gamzee is winded and on one knee while he can. There is still a sky full of drones to deal with and everyone is running out of everything they are.   
“Gamzee! What the hell!? Is this how it was—“  
“I DON’T FUCKIN’ KNOW ANYMORE OKAY?!” Vriska snaps her teeth shut and then looks down at the ground breathing hard. Gamzee wishes he knew what the fuck was going on.... Why is most of this stuff happening?! He’d worked SO FUCKING HARD to get everything exactly perfect. And now there are all these changes he wasn’t expecting!!  
There’s almost a full two minutes of breathing and resting until more drones are ordered in. Everyone is spread around again and the battle restarts. They haven’t seen the Condesce in a while and no one knows where she went....  
A red drone crashes down on its’ feet and grabs Persha around the waist then smashes her into the ground and holds her there. She screams in pain when her ribs are broken and all she can do is lay there to try and breath.  
“Persha!!” Marsho runs over to her and swings his weapon at the robot, but with its free hand it catches the hook end and throws it along with Marsho about an extra foot away. Another robot grabs him and throws him down and stomps on him. He immediately coughs up blood, but his determination is stronger than any pain he feels. Persha isn’t even struggling... She knows this is it. She knows the more she struggles, the harder the robot will push down... Maybe she was too optimistic thinking they could really win....  
“Marsho..... Just stop...”  
“Wh-what?!”  
“Just... lay down... with me.” Marsho looks at Persha with wide eyes. She has NEVER been one to just..... lay down and die like this! But he looks up and sees the others fighting hard... and feels like he’s failed...  
“Persha... We can’t just stop! Everyone else... is fighting!”  
“We fought hard too... please just....” She holds out her hand as tears begin to swell up.  
“Please just stay with me...” Marsho grits his teeth.... and reaches forward and grabs her hand. They hold on to each other tightly.  
“Tell me.... something. Talk to me Marsho..... Please.”  
“Persha you’re not fucking dying.... Do you hear me?.... We’re gonna get out of this... Don’t you believe that I’ll get us out of this mess? W-we’ve had worse!”  
“Tell me happy things... things we can do later on... after this.” The look in Persha’s eyes is desperate and Marsho wants to look away. It’s so hard to see the one he loves in such.... such a worn down and scared state... But he doesn’t look away. He lays his head on the ground and stares at her.  
“When we get outta here.... we’ll have tea and stuff. We’ll have a little tea party j-just like you always wanted me to do. I’ll sit there in a fucking pink frilly dress if that’s what you want... We’ll talk about pink and sp-sparkly things and jewelry and all that stuff. Shoes! We’ll talk about shoes....” Persha starts to laugh between sobs. It was their little secret. That Persha liked stuff like that. But she was happy to hear him say all that...  
When she laughs and robot pushes down on her more and she screams, holding Marsho’s hand even tighter. She gasps for breath and chokes up blood.  
“FUCKING STOP IT!! Please stop!!!” Marsho begs the robot.  
“Did..... did you h-hear. What.... What Chebur said? Before? To Grooga?”  
“Wh-what?... No! No don’t talk!”  
“She told him... not to follow him.”  
“Persha shut up! It’s not gonna..... end like this! Don’t you even want to try?! Try to live so we can do shit with our lives?! Don’t you DARE tell me not to follow you though! Because a life... where we aren’t together isn’t fucking good enough for me! Do you have.... any idea what you’ve done for me?” Marsho squishes her hand tighter and pulls it a little bit.  
“I... You know what I was like! I didn’t talk to anyone. I kept to myself and watched everyone else pass by. I hated everything and I wanted to die. You know that! I wanted to be fucking dead! And you came into my life and you dragged me out of a bad place Persha.... You were different than other trolls. Please don’t be one of the trolls that doesn’t even want to try!” Marsho yells as best as he can. Persha hasn’t seen this side of Marsho in a very very long time. It shakes her to her core... He’s so important to her.  
“Marsho.... You... You changed me too!” Persha’s tears become huge and she sobs with what strength she can.  
“I wasn’t liked by anyone... Everyone hated me a-and told me I’d never do anything with who I was. And when I met you I saw a part of me. I felt it instantly!...” She sobs and digs her nails into his hand.  
“I already knew that I’d love you forever! And I knew how badly I wanted to protect you with my love... with everything that I was!” She grits her teeth hard and sucks in as much air as she can. The look in her eyes makes Marsho a little relieved.  
It was the look of absolute unwavering resolve. She lets go of Marsho’s hand and with all her might, uses both arms and puts them at her side and pushes up with all that she is with the strongest willful scream he’s ever heard.  
Persha actually pushes up against the strength of the confused drone. She isn’t strong enough though.... She continues to scream desperately, doing her fucking best to get out of the robots vice-like grip.  
Like a flash, Reznia jumps onto the back of the beast from behind, and with an angry scream she rips its’ head clean off and then throws it at the head of the robot holding down Marsho. That one’s head comes off from the sheer force and both robots fall backwards in a plume of sand and dust.  
Reznia lands on her feet and then swoops the two smaller trolls up under her arms and dashes off behind a building and sets them down. Before she runs off again Marsho grabs her belt.  
“Wait!”  
“WHAT you idiot?!” She looks back and pants. It looks like she’s not doing too well herself.  
“Reznia..... Thank you. So much.”  
“Whatever... I couldn’t just let you die. That’d go against everything we were taught by Gamzee and Kloshe...” Reznia faces forward again and wipes some blood coming from her nose.  
“Besides, Tieono told me to come help you.”  
Marsho knows he didn’t say that.... Reznia came of her own free will to save them...  
No matter the reason, he’s so grateful he could just hug her. But she shakes Marsho’s hand off and runs forward.  
“Don’t you two fucking move, I have work to do idiots!!” She screams back at them before jumping off.  
Marsho sits back on his legs, arms at his side...  
Persha leans against the wall and watches her go.  
“Did Reznia just....”  
“Yeah....”  
“Huh... Never thought.... I’d live to see that.... Speaking of which.”  
“Hm?” Marsho turns half way to look at the love of his life....  
“What was that.... you said about a pink frilly dress?” She wipes her eyes and smears her paint a bunch before looking at Marsho with a tired smile.  
()  
Reznia runs around and... can’t help but feel good about herself. She never thought things would turn out where she’d ever actually save someone’s life....  
The only actual instruction she got was from Gamzee.   
“YoU'Re tHe fAsTeSt, So gO 'rOuNd aNd hElP AnYoNe wHo's iN AnY ImMeDiAtE DaNgEr gOt iT? i kNoW YoU CaN Do iT ReZ!” He said. And of course Reznia just did what he told her to. So she rushes around as fast as she can with her long legs and incredible speed to help everyone she can get to.  
Kanaya is thrown into the air by the Condesce who’d appeared, and Rez jumps from the top of a building and grabs the jade blood by the waist and feels a sting of pain from the trident that was thrown in the air. Reznia doesn’t even blink though. She lands on the ground and sets Kanaya down quickly and rushes off again. Kanaya watches the clown girl protect Terezi from a robot and yanks its’ wires from its’ neck then runs off again and pushes Karkat out of the way of an oncoming piece of debris from the air and then yet again run off to help Atori.  
“Rez!” Atori calls to her. He grabs her by the wrist and she almost gets away, but Atori’s grip is strong.  
“W-what man?!” She looks back and pants hard.  
“Don’t over work yourself!”  
“Why do you care?! If I d-don’t get going then someone might get hurt and that would fucking suck! We need everyone to stay a-alive—“  
“Exactly! That’s why I’m telling you to take breaks now and again! You’re gonna push yourself too hard and it might be the end of you if you get caught off guard okay?”  
Reznia swallows hard and then looks at her feet and stops struggling in Atori’s grip. She decides maybe he’s right and crouches down to breathe. Atori lets go of her hand, but then puts his on her shoulder.  
“You’re doing great Reznia. I gotta say I’m both impressed and not shocked.”  
“Y-yeah? How?” She doesn’t look at him, but this is common for Reznia to not make direct eye contact that often.  
“Impressed that you haven’t let those damn voices take you... and not surprised that you’re doing so well with all that stamina you got. I dunno I’m just glad you’re okay is all.”  
Reznia smiles just a little and shrugs.  
“I’ve been working hard on keepin’ things level you know... FUCK this FUCKING GOD DAMN PAINT IS PISSING ME OFF!” She screams and uses her sleeves to violently wipe the paint from her face. It’s just itching now and it irritates her to no end. Atori laughs breathily, then squeezes her shoulder a little. Rez looks up at him, waiting for the words she knows he wants to say, curious. His expression is that of someone in deep thought, questioning if he should say anything or not.  
“What is it Atori?” With several seconds of silence, Atori answers.  
“Don’t die.”   
Reznia’s eyes go a little wide, then she squints at him and stands up. She’s just an inch taller than him.  
“Why the f-fuck would I die you idiot? Me and Tieono still gotta get outta this stupid fucking city.”  
“Reznia look....”  
“Huh?” Atori puts both of his hands on either of her arms and he looks into her eyes. Reznia seems super weirded out by this, but her cheeks burn a dark purple.  
“What? Don’t just fucking stand there, say something you jerk!”  
“When this is over...”  
“Dude hurry up Gamzee’s gonna be pissed if I let someone die because you can’t—“ Before she can finish, Atori’s lips are planted right on hers. Her eyes go huge and for a second she thinks she’s gonna die of embarrassment. But it finally registers in her mind.  
Atori is red for her.  
WHICH IS FUCKING CRAZY because she’s been red for him since they first met as kids. So this is actually insane to her that Atori is FUCKING KISSING HER. The voices are screaming and going totally nuts, but in the best way. Like they’re cheering.  
After a couple seconds, she grabs Atori’s face kindly and kisses him back hard. A warmth she’s never felt and never thought she’d feel rushes through her. It’s amazing.  
They part and Reznia seems a bit dazed. Atori smiles a little.  
“So now you have a reason not to die right?”  
“Uh.... yeah. You ass hat.” Atori laughs and leans in again to give her a quick peck, then runs off. Reznia watches him go and gulps..... then screams.  
“IT’S NOT LIKE I WAS GONNA DIE ANYWAY YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!!” With a gulp she shakes her head and tries to refocus. She was doing something.... RIGHT. Protecting who she can. Reznia runs off and continues to do what she was doing. But she can’t help but peek at Atori now and again...  
Off in the distance, Sollux is blasting away with his psionics. Most of the robots are almost gone! But using his powers for so long is beginning to give him a mild headache. Through the sweeps he’s been forced to use his powers to their limit for long periods of time, so he’s been able to manage his powers more than ever before. But that doesn’t mean he’s perfect at controlling the pain now. He has to fly down and rest a few more seconds and breathe hard. Karkat lands on the ground in front of him on his back and skids alllllll the way next to Sollux.  
“Karkat!” The red troll lays there a second and doesn’t even bother to try and get up when he hears Sollux.  
“I’M..... OKAY! HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP SHIT BAG?”  
“Fiine. ii 2ure mii22ed your 2tupiid voiice.”  
“I MISSED YOUT STUPID LISP. I’M RE-RE—FUCK!” He takes a second to catch his breath the rolls to his side.  
“I’M REALLY GLAD YOU’RE OKAY AFT-AFTER ALL THIS TIME.”  
“Me two... You’ll all have two tell me what ii mii22ed. Feferii 2aiid Gamzee planned all thii2? Wiith tiime travel or 2ome 2hiit?”  
“YEAH. DID SHE TELL YOU IT WAS A LONG FUCKING STORY?”  
“Ye2.”  
“BECAUSE IT FUCKING IS. STUPID LONG. I CAN BUST IT DOWN FOR YOU THOUGH. IT LOOKS LIKE WE’RE DOING REALLY GOOD FOR NOW.”  
“Yeah. ii gotchya!” Sollux gets up and drags Karkat off behind a building with much complaining from Karkat about sand burns, but Sollux just laughs breathily and then sits next to Karkat behind what’s left of the structure.  
“FUCKING JERK AS USUAL.”  
“Fuckiing loud mouth a2 u2ual.” The two look at each other and smile a bit then lean their heads back on the blue cement.  
“Alriight, tell me the 2hort ver2iion of what’2 up.”  
“SHORT VERSION. UH. OKAY LET’S SEE. WELL OKAY OKAY FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW WHAT HAPPENED?”  
“ii’ll never forget. We were all fiightiing Condy and then 2he crammed miind honey down my throat and everythiing went black. All ii remember from that ii2 the paiin. iit 2ucked. But when everythiing went back to normal ii remember there wa2 water everywhere and the only one’2 aliive were me and her... 2he told me that ii wa2 the one that kiilled all of you.”  
“WELL SHE’S A FUCKING LIAR OBVIOUSLY AND I WON’T EVEN GET INTO WHAT AN IDIOT YOU FUCKING ARE FOR EVEN BELIEVING SUCH SWILL. HOW COULD YOU LET THAT SHIT WORM ITS WAY INTO YOUR DUMB FUCKING PAN? WHAT HAPPENED WAS YOU WENT OFF ON YOUR MIND HONEY TIRADE THAT FUCKING BULGE SUCKER FLOODED THE ENTIRE PLANET, AND THE ONLY WAY WE FUCKING LIVED WAS THANKS TO ARADIA AND HER SWEET POWERS. SHE LEAD US ALL THE WAY TO THIS DUMB ROCK THING THAT HAD A HUGE PORTAL IN IT AND WE WENT IN AND CAME TO THIS WORLD.”  
“ii 2aiid the 2HORT ver2iion.”  
“WHATEVER. SHORT VERSION IS WE ALL CAME BACK TO LIFE SOMEHOW WE GUESSED IT WAS MAYBE THE HANDMAID BUT MAYBE NOT BECAUSE LIFE ISN’T HER THING, BUT BLAH BLAH WE LIVED IN A HIVE FOR A WHILE UNTIL WE FOUND A PORTAL THING IN THE ROOM THAT WAS YOURS AND WE WERE LIKE OH FUCK AND STUFF HAPPENED THEN THE HIVE CRUMBLED AND WE WALKED THE DESERT FOREVER AND GAMZEE WITH SOME WEIRD PURPLE GHOST WORDS POPPED UP AND WE DID WHAT THEY SAID AND WE FOUND OTHER PORTALS AND WEIRD THINGS SO BLAH BLAH AGAIN WE GET INTO THE CITY AND INTO THE HIVE GAMZEE KEPT SAFE FOR US AND DUDE IT WAS STOCKED WITH FOOD RIGHT? CLOTHES FOOD AND IT WAS LIKE TROLL MARRY POPPINS’ BAG OR SOME SHIT. BUT ANYWAY WE LEARN THAT I THREE SWEEPS WE HAD TO GET SUPER STRONG AND AWESOME BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA COME HERE AND FUCK THE CONDESCE’S SHIT UP AND TO SAVE YOU. WE TRAINED AND SHIT AND THEN WE GOT HERE THANKS TO AN OLD LADY NAMED LEVINA, AND THEN GAMZEE AND ALL HIS WEIRD FUCKING NEW FRIENDS AND FOLLOWERS HELPED US TRAIN FOR ONE FUCKING DAY AND WE LEARNED A BUNCH OF STUFF FROM GAMZEE ABOUT HOW HE’S BEEN REWINDING TIME TO KEEP US ALL ALIVE FOR LIKE FOURTY OR FIFTY SWEEPS I FORGET AND THIS IS THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIRST CYCLE THAT HE’S BEEN THROUGH. HE KEPT REWINDING TIME BECAUSE WE KEPT FUCKING DYING LIKE GOD DAMN WRIGGLERS IN THE TRIALS, AND THIS TIME WAS SUPPOSED TO BE /THE/ FUCKING TIME WHERE EVERYTHING HE’D PLANNED WAS PERFECT, AND NOW FOR SOME REASON SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THE TIMELINE FOR THIS CYCLE AND NOW ALL OUR SHIT IS GETTING FUCKED. BUT NONE OF US ARE DEAD SO IT CAN’T BE ALL BAD. SO NOWE THAT WE GOT YOU BACK WE GOTTA KILL THE CONDESCE AND HER DRONES, OR AT LEAST ENOUGH THAT WHEN FEFERI BECOMES QUEEN THEY WON’T FUCK WITH US ANYMORE. THERE’S THE SHORT STORY.”  
“Wow, ii can’t WAIIT to hear the fuckiing LONG ver2iion...” Sollux sighs a little and wipes some yellow blood off of his forehead.  
“Welp. We can’t wonder what happened for two long, we got 2hiit two do.”  
“YEAH I KNOW. YOU’VE HELPED A LOT YOU KNOW, BLASTING MOST OF THEM AWAY WITH YOUR SWEET PSIONICS. WE’D BE FUCKING DEAD FOR SURE BY NOW WITHOUT YOUR HELP.”  
“How ha2... Feferii been?”  
“WELL. HOW DO YOU THINK TAVROS FELT? ANYONE BEING AWAY FROM THEIR FLUSHED QUADRANT REALLY SUCKS. BUT THEY POWERED THROUGH THE LONG WAIT AND HARD WORK BECAUSE THEY KNeEW THEY’D GET HERE TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN. AND UH.... YOU KNOW WHAT SOLLUX, THIS MAY BE OUT OF PLACE FOR ME TO SAY OR TALK ABOUT, BUT I’M GONNA SAY IT ANYHOW BECAUSE WHY THE FUCK NOT.”  
“I2 thii2 really the tiime?”  
“I THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME. I’LL BE QUICK. ERIDAN WORKED HARD TOO TO PROTECT FEFERI AND HELP HER. HE’S GROWN UP A LOT AND HE KNOWS HE’LL NEVER GET FEFERI BECAUSE SHE LOVES YOU OKAY, SO HE’S GIVEN UP ON TRYING TO GET HER AWAY FROM YOU, BUT HE STILL LOVES HER AND HE’S DONE EVERYTHING HE COULD TO MAKE SURE FEFERI KNEW THAT SHE HAD YOU TO LOOK FORWARD TOO.” Karkat scratches his hair a little and looks off.  
“I DUNNO I’M JUST SAYIN’ THAT.... I DON’T KNOW WHAT I’M SAYIN’. I JUST FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO GET IT OUT.”  
Sollux looks at Karkat a little and thinks about how things were when they were kids.... and that he figures it would be in his best interest to not keep thinking that everyone is exactly the same as when he left. Past Karkat he sees Nepeta working with Tieono to climb and beat on a drone and how different she looks. The way she views things is different. More focused. She was always good at hunting but she’s made her abilities better. To the right of that Tavros thrusts his lance forward through a robot and through a building with his strength. Sollux remembers the look on Tavros’ face when he passed him and Feferi. It was still Tavros’ happy look, but Sollux could tell that Tav had matured a lot since he was away. Further back he sees Eridan and Feferi back to back stabbing and blasting the beasts...  
Feferi doesn’t look like she’s kidding around anymore. This is serious business and she’s putting everything she has into it. And Eridan uses his rifle in the most expert manner, not even using both hands or looking through the sights, he just shoots because he knows exactly what he’s doing. He says something to Feferi and she nods, both of them jumping away from each other to dodge an incoming robot from the air.  
“Yeah. Everyone ha2 matured a lot.... Thank2 I gue22. For remiindiing me.” Karkat looks back at Sollux and smiles a little bit.  
“SURE THING. YOU FUCKING NOOK EATER.” Sollux stares at Karkat for a while, seeing how different he looks too... His eyes are bright red now and he looks confident and more outgoing than he ever was. He doesn’t have a baby face anymore, with his jaw more square and nose more pointed and cheek bones giving him an adult look....  
“ii 2ee your vocabulary ha2n’t changed one fuckiing biit.”  
“NOPE.” A drone crashes right next to them, blowing wind and sand in their faces. The two get up quickly and Equius jumps on top of the Drone and smashes its head in. He looks up at the low bloods and stands up straight.  
“Having a break are we?”  
“We had a liittle talk ii2 all. We’re goiing back iin though.”  
“Good.” Equius looks much stronger than before and casual in his new hoody. Which of course has cuts and holes and blood on it now, but still. Ad a bow that isn’t broken. Magical shit for sure.  
“0utta they way y0u dummies!!” Aradia jumps back to back with Equius and uses the blue bloods sturdiness and balance to lean back on him and kick her feet forward and up, redirecting the flying robot into the air away from the boys.  
“Thank you Aradia.”  
“Pay attenti0n! B0ys I swear. Ah hey S0llux!” She goes over quickly and gives him a hug.  
“We all really missed y0u.”  
“I mii22ed you all two.” He hugs back tightly and is shocked to see Aradia hasn’t grown all that tall. Maybe two inches? But that’s okay. Short Aradia is cool with him.  
“N0w get y0ur asses back 0ut here. S0llux, 0ne 0r tw0 m0re blasts in the sky will get rid 0f every single dr0ne that’s left! Then we can all c0ncentrate 0ur eff0rts 0n the C0ndesce!”  
“Riight—Ah!” Sollux looks up and catches Gamzee with his psionics from flying down into them after being thrown. He sets the giant down softly on his feet and goes over to him with Gamzee.  
“Ya’Ll hAvIn’ a pArTy oVeR HeRe i wAsNt iNvItEd tO?” Gamzee says tiredly.  
“iit’2 gettiing there. You okay?”  
“I’lL MoThErFuCkIn’ lIvE. i jUsT WiSh i kNeW WhAt tHe fUcK WaS GoInG On hErE.” Gamzee stands up and grunts at a pain in his side. His face paint is smudged almost totally off and he’s bleeding a ton from fucking everywhere.  
“You 2aiid that before. ii’ve heard iit’ll be a long 2tory, but for now...”  
“YeAh... Ng...”   
“GAMZEE ARE YOU REALLY OKAY? YOU DON’T LOOK SO GOOD.”  
“I’m fUcKiN’ FiNe dOnT WoRrY AbOuT It. HuFf...” Sollux flies into the air to finish off the drones while Karkat takes care of Gamzee. Equius rushes off too and catches Kloshe in one hand, spins and throws him. Kloshe destroys the mechanical beast and thumbs up at Equius and jumps off again.  
“Thii2 ii2 iit...” Sollux charges his psionics as much as they’ll go with what strength he has and clenches his fists.  
“Go two hell you fuckiing 2tupiid robot2!!!” The red and blue blast becomes so bright that the town almost turns completely white. Everyone has to close their eyes and stand still. Explosions in the air are so intense they shake the ground and some buildings crash down into themselves, smoke pluming around them. The wind from the blast almost feels like several extra G’s of gravity weighing everyone down.  
Finally the light disappears and there’s not a single drone left in the sky. Even part of the Condesce’s main ship has a rather huge chunk missing out of it. Smoke and fire billow out of the damaged ship and it starts to fall out of the sky sideways, and when it crashes into the ground the ground shakes like no one has ever felt before. It feels like the planet is falling apart under everyone’s feet. It blows up all the way and makes black smoke fly into the sky.  
The Condesce stands atop a building that is still just structurally sound enough to not be destroyed by the shaking and watches her ship be destroyed along with all of her drones... Her drones weren’t too important, but her ship.... Her fucking ship!!  
“Damn you Sollux!!!” She screams at him. But Sollux just ignores her and flies down to his friends and other purple team mates that all gather together.  
Tieono rushes to the group, but Condy jumps down and grabs him around the neck.  
“Ack!”  
“Don’t move brat!” She grips him around his neck tighter and Tieono reaches up to her arm and tries to pull, but a trident poking the back of his neck makes him struggle less...  
Kloshe tenses up eyes wide... no. Not another troll too young to die...  
“YOU FUCKING BITCH, LET HIM GO!” Karkat screams at her. The Condesce only glares and ignores him.  
“Like I would. You destroyed my fucking ship and robots! What’s this one kid gonna mean to you huh? Hundreds have already died because of this battle you initiated.”  
“MOR3 WOULD H4V3 D13D B3C4US3 YOU W4NT3D TO K1LL TH3M 4LL 4NYW4Y!”  
“Yeah we’ve s8ved a lot of people! And now you’re 8eat you fucking 8itch. Give us the kid and we MIGHT kill you slowly!”  
Equius looks around his friends and team mates. Where is Reznia? She’s not in the group..... Wasn’t she right next to him?  
Eridan readies his gun and hisses.  
“Hand him ovver....”  
“As if. I’m going to kill you all one by one.... and after that I’m gonna leave and go about my life as ruler!”  
Tieono gulps. He feels sick.... this is it. Fuck. He was gonna get outta here with Reznia... they were gonna leave and find a new life somewhere else..... but this is where he’s going to die. I front of his friends... in front of his leader Gamzee.... in front of..... Wait. Where’s—  
“I’LL FUCKING KILL YOOOUU!!!!” Reznia jumps down from a building and lands on the Condesce’s back yanking her hair with one hand and grabbing the trident with the other. Tieono falls on his hands and knees when the witch drops him.  
“You wretched FUCK!” Condy swings around and kicks Reznia in the face with her heal into what’s left of a building, then throws her trident hard. Reznia slips down a little but stands up quickly and gets ready to run at the Condesce again.  
“Reznia MOVE!!!” Tieono gets up and rushes to her...  
But it’s too late.  
The trident stabs right through both lungs and even goes through the wall with a disgusting SHUNK noise.  
Tieono’s eyes go wide and he swears his body catches on fire.  
He screams and goes to attack the Condesce, but she kicks back and connects with his stomach, sending him flying back in front of the shocked group of trolls.   
“REZ!!” Gamzee yells to her. Reznia looks a little surprised. When she tries to move she feels the sharp electric like pain... and the even worse feeling of her lungs filling with blood. She coughs unwillingly and dark purple blood oozes thickly from her lips. When she looks up the taller Condesce is standing in front of her angrily.  
“You disgusting little piece of shit.... How dare you attack from behind.”  
“L.... like you would h-have done any di-different, fuck face.”  
Reznia spits at the taller woman and gets a swift punch to her face.   
Terezi throws her Sword cane while Eridan shoots his gun. The cane is hit to the side while Eridan’s blast is actually swatted away. It leaves a burn on the Condesce’s arm, but she doesn’t seem too fazed by it.  
“If I can’t use the boy as an example.... I suppose YOU’LL do.” Condy yanks the Trident from the wall, but not out of Reznia. She lifts her into the air and turns to the group, then stabs the other end of the trident in the ground further impaling Reznia, receiving a pained cry from the juggalo.  
“See this, you nasty rats?” Kanaya shakes with anger at the power the Condesce has over them right now.... She looks over at Aradia and Karkat and Feferi who are all also very angry in a tell tale position of pouncing... Gamzee is at the front and she wonders what he’s going to do...  
Atori at Gamzee’s side looks like he’s going to erupt... And poor Tieono looks utterly defeated...  
“This is what happens when y—“  
“FUCK YOU BITCH! Do-Don’t listen to her!”  
“Shut your mo—“  
“GO FUCK YOURSELF!! We’re not y-your fucking pl-lay things! You d-don’t ow-own us!! W-We didn’t w-work so hard... for you to just...” Reznia seems to be losing a lot of her strength as she talks and her body starts to relax on the trident.  
“R-Reznia please stop talking! You’re—!” Tieono begs.  
“Tieono li-listen... You gotta make it.... outta here. With or without me!”  
“He ain’t goin’ anywhere.” Condy shakes the trident a little and Reznia shrieks in pain, but the look of anger and grit in her eyes is strong.  
“If I’m gonna die.... then I’m takin’ you with me...” Reznia looks sideways at the witch.  
Out of nowhere a smaller trident BLASTS through the Condesce’s chest, splattering royal pink blood everywhere. Her eyes go huge and she looks at the trident..... Feferi’s?? But she’s standing right there with the others!! Condy turns around and sees another Feferi standing behind her. The Feferi behind her turns to water and floats in the air and goes over the head of the tall witch, comes down to the smaller trident and picks it up then flies over to Feferi.  
“You.... little bitch.....” Blood gushes from the Condesce and she staggers in place, glaring daggers at Feferi.  
“If being a bitch means taking the world from your ugly boney fingers... then you’re right.” Condy drops the trident and Reznia and that second Tieono and the others rush forward.   
Every single one of them get a hit on her. A quick slice, stab, yank, kick, punch, pull, tear, rip... It all happens so fast that the Condesce can’t even make a thought before the next painful attack hits her.   
After all that, the Condesce falls to her knees and then forward to her side...... Everyone gathers around her ready to strike again.  
She turns over.... to see everyone standing in a circle above her.....  
But she doesn’t see the children anymore. Handmaid... Summoner... Psiioniic... Disciple... Dolorosa... Redglare... Mindfang... Darkleer... The Grand Highblood... Dualscar....... That damn Signless.... and even worse.... herself.  
Feferi takes a few steps forward and stands over the witch....  
“You... You don’t rule us anymore.... You don’t own us.... I’m the one..... who runs the show now.”  
“You.... won’t be able t-to.... y-you fuc-fucking....”  
Feferi lifts her trident and then thrusts it down HARD into the Condesce’s head.... She rips the forked weapon out and then stabs the woman over and over and over again. No one stops her.  
People from the city who hid away slowly start to come out and peek through what’s left of buildings and windows and walls.... At first they’re worried.... but when Feferi stops and pants they all see that it’s the younger of the two.  
“FREEDOM!!!” She screams to the people and holds her bloody trident up in the air.   
The atmosphere begins to change. Was this real??? Was the Condescension really dead? Trolls begin to cheer and scream and clap as they rush over.   
Feferi’s friends and comrades stare up at her with big smiles... then they all bow on one knee with a hand to their chests. Feferi looks at them a little flabbergasted... But when she hears everyone cheering and seeing them all cheer she knows that they’ve really done it.... They really beat the odds..... Finally after all this time.   
Everyone begins to bow and while this happens, Feferi feels an overwhelming flow of power in her chest... in her hands, in her hips and her knees to her toes. The jolt shoots back up her spin and down her arms. She feels so strong... Could this be what it feels like to have the powers passed down?  
“I.... I’m.... the queen now...”  
“You sure are Fef. Congratulations.” Eridan stands up and smiles widely. Sollux stands straight too and elbows Eridan a little bit with an equally large smile.  
“Uh excu2e you, that’s YOUR HIGHNE22 now.”  
“Feferi. What Do You Plan To Do Now?”  
“U... uh.... well what does everyone WANT me to do?”  
“HELP that’s what!” Comes a smaller voice from the side. Feferi looks over at Tieono and Atori holding and coaxing Reznia to stay awake.  
“O-oh gosh. I didn’t forget really!” Feferi takes another good step on the Condesce’s throat before rushing over. Everyone makes a path for her—“oh yeah everyone, have at that THING laying there!” she calls to the people of the city. And everyone is quick on their feet to rip and tear at the dead body of the previous ruler...  
Fef jumps and hops over to the three and looks at Reznia. Her eyes are half open and they seem glazed over.... Dead.  
“Can.... you do anything about this your highness?” Tieono says a bit sarcastically. Atori eyes him to watch his words, but Tieono doesn’t fucking care... Feferi thinks for a second and looks at her hand............ then nods.  
“I can try my best. You know that.... she’s dead right?” Tieono bites his lip and big purple tears swell into giant bulbous waterfalls on his face...  
“P-please... PLEASE help her!... She’s all I have! I’m so pale it aches... Without Reznia I’m n-nothing!” He begs... Atori looks at him and then down at their lifeless bloody Reznia and bites his lip hard.  
“You don’t need to convince me you two. I know she’s important to you both. Let me see here.”   
Feferi comes around to be at Reznia’s head... and lowers her hand onto the dead trolls forehead.  
“A long time ago there was a game we played.... Me and my friends. I was a witch of life in a few timelines. And now that we’ve killed the Condesce..... I got her powers... And she was a life player too. So...” When Feferi closes her eyes, her hand glows and for a split second her own eyes go white.  
“Feferi?.... Feferi?” Tieono calls to her quietly. Gamzee comes over with the rest of their friends and comrades and stand in front of the four trolls.  
“WH4T’S GO1NG ON?”  
“Feferi is using her p0wers to revive Reznia I think!” Aradia grabs Terezi’s arm and shakes it a little.  
Terezi quietly asks where the FUCK her cane went. No one knows. Shrug. Sigh. She loved that dang thing.  
Tavros and Nepeta takes Gamzee’s hands both happy and worried. Nepeta spots Gamzee continuing to look back at the dead Condesce... not believing this is even real. But there she is. Truly dead with the troll picking and fighting over her body parts for fun. It makes him happy. He looks back at the situation and uses his own chuckle voodoo powers to peer into Feferi’s mind. Chebur follows in after him.  
()  
In another time line Feferi watches as everyone of her friends die... As all the juggalos die and the city is ready to be flooded by a laughing condescension... Reznia screams at Gamzee even though she’s basically right next to him.  
“Gamzee! Y-You listen to me!” She looks different, Feferi thinks. Her eyes less wide and terrified, her iris larger and her paint is actually in a real shape instead of a huge fucking mess like normal. It’s real clown make up.  
“R-Rez don’t talk or you-you’re gonna fucking drop dead right there.”  
“We already ARE gonna drop dead right here you fucking idiot. Please just listen to me! You told us all before that.... that we’ve done this a whole bunch of times right? I’ve seen..... what doing this multiple times does to everyone.... and when the rest of us die.... I have a request. PLEASE Gamzee...”  
Gamzee is silent... then nods as a tidal wave begins to block out the sun...  
“Yeah. What?”  
“Take everyone’s stress.... everyone’s uncertainty and anxiety... everyone’s pain... Somehow do that... and give it all to me.”  
“Rez that’s fuckin’ crazy talk.”  
“DO it I fucking said!! If I have to change or take on everyone else’s bullshit than I fucking will! I’m gonna help!! I’m gonna help if it’s the last thing I do! And every time we fail you better keep taking everyone’s shit and give it to me.”  
“How?.... When?? Reznia why—“  
“I fucking already told you. If I can help... then I want to. Just.... I don’t fucking know go back in time and do something. Give it to me at birth or some shit I don’t know man just THINK of something..... Please Gamzee. I don’t care if I’m a nut case or whatever. If my stupid worthless weak body can do anything, it’s take on other peoples problems. So I’m fucking BEGGING you... I won’t let Tieono go through this shit anymore than he has to.... Or Atori or Kloshe or even that stupid cunt Chebur.... Please please please....”  
“Rez... I swear. We’ll win some day.”  
Reznia begins to cry a little and she stands up weakly holding her stomach.   
“I don’t care what happens to me!! As long as my friends survive!! I’ll die for them a million times if I have to!!!”  
“REznia!” Tieono’s voice calls. He runs to her with a limp, but all he can think about is how he wants his last moments to be with Reznia. The taller girl runs to him with what’s left of her strength.  
Gamzee watches with tears swelling up... even though he’s watched this a few times at this point... He grasps the wands he kept safe in his ... throat... and stands up with deep heavy breaths.  
“I promise Rez.... Tieono.... everyone.... I’ll fix this.... I’ll fix it.”   
Tieono and Reznia crash into each other in a tight hug and sink to their knees. Rez hides Tieono’s face in her shoulder so he doesn’t see the oncoming wave.... She looks up at it and at the Condesce and glares... She counts in her head when the wave will hit...  
5... 4...3...  
“I-I’m so sorry Tieono... For everything...”  
“Don’t apologize.”  
2...  
“But this is only the end for us... for now. We’ll come back... and... I might be a little different... but please don’t leave me... please find me every time.... Because I’ll look for you every single fucking time... and I won’t leave you alone until you become my moirail again...”  
1  
“I’ll always find you—“  
The waves crash hard into the ground, washing buildings and bodies away. Gamzee swings the wand around and time stops, everything going black.  
()  
Feferi’s eyes become orange and pink again.....   
“I get it now.... She’s the one who really saved the day huh?”  
Tieono and Atori look at her strangely...  
“uuugghhh....” Atori looks down at Reznia who squeezes her eyes shut.  
“What the fucking fuck.....”  
“Reznia.... Reznia!!” Tieono cries and holds her tightly.  
Feferi stands up and looks at Gamzee.  
“So you did what she asked then.”  
Everyone looks at Gamzee but Chebur. She looks angry...  
“I sure did.... I had to try everything. And she offered herself up... so I did what she asked... and it turned out for the best... So I kept doing it.”  
“Gamzee it’s a good thing you did. Without her being this way.... I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to stab the Condesce while she was distracted. It’s thanks to you and Reznia that I was able to deal the first real blow. And one of the last.” Feferi smiles at Gamzee a little.  
“And now... I’m gonna do this place a favor...” Fef swings one tip of her trident into the sky. Black clouds collect in the air.... and begin to turn a lighter grey color. Rain starts to pour... but it’s actual water.... not acid. Everyone looks up to the sky and begins to recoil.. but when they feel the water not hurting them people begin to sing and dance and cheer loudly.  
“Da fuck’s goin’ on?”  
“We’re free Reznia..... we’re really free...” Tieono sits up and lets the rain hit his face. While he does that Atori leans down and kisses Reznia long and sweetly. It takes another second for Rez to understand... but when it happens she kisses him back and closes her eyes.  
“You’re already one hell of a queen fef.”  
“Oh I’m not done just yet.” She points her trident at the stupid wall that keeps this city its prisoner.... and it begins to crumble all around. With all the rain hitting the dry sand all around them it’s a paradise...  
Sollux goes to her quickly and kisses her hard and hugs her. Feferi kisses and hugs him back with a big smile on her face. The whole group rejoices and fling their arms in the air excitedly...  
The cycle is complete. The orobourus has bitten off its tail, the chain is broken...  
The universe is finally free... and with a new queen to rule, everything feels so clean...  
It’s a new generation.  
A new world.  
A free world.  
()  
THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the last chapter. If it's not what you wanted, I'm pretty sorry??? But since no one is reading it I mostly made this last chapter for myself. Because writing is supposed to make ME happy too, not feel like a chore, which is what it was starting to feel like. BUT. don't despair. I had fun with it and I wrote all I wanted to write.  
> This is the end for this entire series. NOTHING ELSE AFTER THIS HAVING TO DO WITH THIS STORY.  
> If you want to ask me to draw something from the story PLEASE TELL ME SO! I need to do drawingssssss.   
> Thank you everyone who's read and who's stuck with this wicked shit until the end!!!  
> I wouldn't have continued this story if not for your continued support and encouragement!!  
> THANK YOU EVERYONE.  
> (also if you see the inevitable spelling errors that will occur, please let me know and I'll fix it. :3)  
> (plot holes however will not be fixed. Just assume time space ate them.)


	18. Interesting developments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened after Feferi became Queen? People have been asking me to do this for a year and I finally decided to put down what happens.

   6.5 sweeps later.

()

   The gradient of the sky was a beautiful sight to behold. It’s been a long time since the Condescension’s Take Down and everything the eye can see proves that the struggle and the fight was all worth it.

   Outside of the once walled in city of juggalos, where there was once endless sand pain and suffering stands fields of flowers, trees and crops that the cities people made to feed themselves.  Sitting in the flowers is a rather large juggalo troll. His hair is huge and his horns have spiraled “into the sky” some have said. He’s quiet, simply enjoying the stars and the soft warm wind that blows through.

   A scent catches in his nose and his painted face twitches into a soft smile. From behind him comes footsteps and a familiar voice. One he loves.

   “gAMZEE. wHAT ARE YOU DOING SITTING ALONE OUT HERE?” The larger troll, Gamzee, turns around to look at his red quadrant. The older rust blood has really grown into himself, Gamzee often thinks.

   “Just thinkin’ of shit, that’s all Tavros my main motherfucker. Sit with me. And don’t hit me with yer damn giant horns.” The two chuckle and Tavros, who’s bull horns have grown to quite a decent size sits down, careful to keep his distance.

   “tHINKING OF WHAT?” Once black and now orange eyes look to his purpleblooded love with curiosity. Gamzee is quiet for a few seconds… “It’s just been a good while since we’ve come back here to visit everyone. Sis did a nice fuckin’ job waterin’ the place huh?”

   “fEFERI DID A GREAT JOB, i AGREE.”

   “I remember all those sweeps I spent looking at a cloudy dead sky waitin’ for all that shit to be over with. Waitin’ to see just ONE fuckin’ star peek it’s little face out to show me that what I was doin’ was right and that there was really hope that we’d kill that stupid bitch. That what we were fighting for wasn’t a waste of time.”

   Tavros is the one who’s quiet now. He’s saddened to think that Gamzee still thinks about those horrible times. Times that Tavros can’t even imagine he went through by himself… Well, by himself may be stretching it. Gamzee did have Atori and the other purple bloods who fought with them and nearly died in the battle against the fuchsia tyrant queen. Many residents and fighters did die in that chaotic fight… But their deaths didn’t go unrewarded. Because nearly everyone in the city fought hard and long with forces beyond their comprehension. And they won.

   “wHAT DO YOU THINK now THOUGH?” Tavros asks quietly. While he is stronger, buffer and tougher looking, the moehawked rustblood is still quite shy and quiet.

   “What do I think now… Hm. I can’t even describe this fuckin’ joy and relief I feel bro. It was all worth it… That’s what I think.”

   “gOOD. nOW WE CAN LOOK UP INTO THE SKY WITH NO CLOUDS AND SEE all THE TINY LITTLE FACES OF THE STARS. sHOWING US THAT HOPE AND JUSTICE WON.” Gamzee chuckles at Tavros. The rust blood looks over with an eyebrow raised slightly, yet with a grin.

   “wHAT, TOO SAPPY FOR YOU?”

   “Just a little. But I like it.” The two stare into the sky again and remain quiet so they can enjoy the silence of relief.

   Just before Gamzee goes to lay down, a woman’s voice comes from behind them.

   “Hey. Why the hell didn’t you come to see us before sitting in my fucking flowers?” Gamzee looks behind him quickly to see a smiling Chebur with her arms folded.

   “Oh shit, Cheby! Hey!”

   “And I told you sweeps ago to stop calling me that. What brings you two back to the city?”

   “Hehe. Well I ain’t really allowed to tell you.” Gamzee stands up and Tavros follows suit. Chebur squints playfully at the two.

   “Not allowed to tell me?? I thought we were all done with secrets.”

   “Well for the most part. You know, when the queen of all trolls tells me to keep a secret I do it… mostly.” The giant troll chuckles and scratches his face. Chebur gives the two a lazy sneer.

   “You don’t really believe that you can keep such a secret from me. I sorta have foresight of the best kind you know. I already know the queen is coming to visit. We—uh, the Highblood got a letter from her saying she’d like to hold a sort of anniversary party and was wondering if she could hold it here. Since our city is kind of a very important landmark point in history. How did you two even get around the city without being seen?”

   “tHE BACK WAY.” Tavros chimes in with a smirk.

   The backway. The way the group used to have to take to avoid the main streets of the nearly exclusive purple blooded place so they wouldn’t get caught and ruin the plans Gamzee had worked so hard to set up for them.

   “And? How does everything look to you two?”

   “It looks motherfuckin sweet as hell sis. Don’t worry about it.”

  Chebur relaxes a little and sighs. “What do we do to prepare? Anything?”

   “I told you sis I ain’t allowed to say shit. My clown lips are motherfuckin sealed.” Gam shrugs his large shoulders, much to the irritation of Chebur.

   “I’ll take that as ‘you can’t really DO anything because she’s coming weather we’re prepared or not’.”

   “You would be god damn right.”

   “aNYWAY, hOW ARE THE OTHERS? tHE GROUP THAT FOUGHT WITH US.”

   “Oh. Well some of them I don’t have tabs on. But I know that everyone who’s here is doing really well.”

   “Who don’t you got tabs on? Please tell me Reznia and Tieono went off to explore like they wanted to.”

   Chebur nods and takes out a strip of paper from her pocket. “Yeah, the only thing I’ve gotten from those two is this stupid picture strip of them being ridiculous in front of a booth camera.” She hands the long strip of photos to Tavros and the boys lean in and look. Gamzee laughs and points.

   “Ah shit they chained their makeup too.”

   “lOOK HOW GROWN UP LITTLE tIEONO LOOKS!”

   “Wow. Time god damn flies!”

   Chebur watches the two smile and she can’t help but crack one of her own. “Hey, is your presence a sign that the other rainbow trolls will be here as well?” Gam and Tav look up from the picture and to each other…. Then at Chebur.

   “Can’t tell ya.”

   “I’ll make twelve drinks then. I already knew the others were coming you know. With my sweet as fuck brain powers and all. I just wanted to see if you’d say anything. And obviously you think we’re stupid around here… That and your feline like friend is already here causing mayhem with the wrigglers.

   “Nepeta’s in town??” Gamzee and Tavros say together and facepalm in unison. “Yep. Better go stop her highblood.”

   “You know I ain’t highblood no more.”

   “A-ah, right. It slipped, sorry.”

   “Don’t be sorry, be god damn HAPPY.” With a big stretch, Gamzee walks towards the town. “Let’s go cause a commotion Tav!”

   “hEHE. rIGHT, COMING!”

   “You two are gonna leave me here? Rude.” The three chuckle and walk back into the bright lights of the city.

()

()

   “Hey do you thiink you could pace any more, Kanaya? Or at lea2t go pace over THERE?” A bicolor eyed man says.

   “Sollux I Really Must Get This Right And Pacing Helps, Is That Alright With You?” A stressed out looking Jade blooded woman says. “We’ll Be There Early And I Haven’t Had Time To Fix My Outfit From The Hunt This Morning!” Kanaya swings her slender arms up into the sky dramatically, some fabric in her painted claws. Sollux sighs.

   “ii’ll fiix iit for you 2uper fa2t iif you ju2t 2top MOVIING. Or you know, ju2t wear 2omethiing el2e.”

   “I Don’t Think I Have Anything Else That Would Look Good! Well That’s A Complete Lie… I Just Really Wanted To Wear THIS Outfit.”

   Sollux gets up and follows Kanaya who’s walking in large circles around quite a large ship.

   In fact, this is the ship that the Condescension flew in… Or… It’s the METAL from that ship anyway.

   A Pisces shaped fuchsia ship floats vertically in the sky several hundred miles from the now glowing city where the battle once took place.

   The lights inside the ship are a soft warm orangey color to make everything look alive and not dull as it would be with neon or fluorescent lighting. There are potted plants and beautifully carved white stone benches lining the walls, draped with a pretty red cloth and gold trim fabric that Kanaya insisted made the white interior allow the red to POP. Parts of the ship have stickers and posters from various preposterously lengthy named movies. Circular windows dot the entire ship and there are hundreds of fuchsia roll out carpets on nearly every inch of every hall.

   “Oi!” A pompous voice echoes from down the hall. Sollux rolls his eyes. He KNEW that stupid fish brain would bug him when he has a migraine.

   “Oi your2elf you loud fuck.” Sollux says finally catching Kanaya in the slowest chase of all, carrying her under his arm while she slumps with an exasperated sigh.

   “Fuckin’ rude as alwways I see. Sollux, really do you have to… I KNEWW YOU WWERE CHEATIN’ ON FEF!” The sea dwelling troll says as he points his gold laden arm at Sollux. The man’s thunder bolt shaped horns have grown quite large in recent sweeps. His completely purple eyes are narrow and piercing just as he’d always hoped they would be when he grew out of his totally black eye faze. It seems though that he has not yet grown out of the purple cape faze. It’s large and threatening, contrasting to his all white black and purple armor and gold jewelry. If Sollux wasn’t already red with Feferi, he may have been inclined to give him some sort of compliment on how stunning he looks, or how he certainly grew into his sea dwelling heritage.

   “I knew you wwere actually fuckiing 2tupid, Eriidan.”

   “Oh come on it wwas only a joke. It seems there’s a problem with Kanaya?” A fake sob comes from the jade blood. “I Only Wanted To Fix The Rip My Outfit Got During The Hunt    With Nepeta!”

   “Wwhy the fuck wwere you wwearing your favvorite outfit out on a hunt?? And a hunt for WWHAT?” Sollux sets Kanaya down on her feet and stands up straight. Kayana fixes her black and jade V-neck shirt and holds up an equally black and jade long lacy dress.

   “I Wasn’t Actually Hunting Myself. Nepeta Dragged Equius And I Through A Forest On The Way To The Ship And She Wanted To Play A Game. But Instead Of Actually Playing A Game She Dragged Us Hunting And I Still Had My Luggage In My Hand So I Couldn’t Really Refuse… A Rather Large Animal Came Out And Surprised Me And Caught My Suit Case And The Whole Damn Thing Burst Open And My Dress Caught On A Branch. I’d Say The Hunt Was No Longer A Hunt So Much As It Was A Complete Slaughtering Of The Animal.” Kanaya coughs quietly into a balled up fist, angry even remembering the encounter.

   “But Lace Is Very Difficult To Fix And The Rip Is Right In The Center Of Course.”

   “And iin2tead of lii2tening two ME and ju2t handiing iit over 2o ii can fiix iit, 2he iin2ii2ts on paciing around whiiniing about iit.”

   Eridan pushes up his glasses, which he’s upgraded to….. well… they’re not hipster glasses anymore but they’re still pretty stupid for someone like him to be wearing. Too fancy even for him.

   “Kanaya just let him fix the dress or I’ll havve to toss it into the abyss.”

   “I Think I’ll Have To Saw You Clean In Half If You Do Such A Thing To My Dress.” The scowl Kanaya gives Eridan is enough to make him put up his hands in surrender.

   “I guess I havven’t gotten any better at joking.” Sollux and Kanaya both shake their heads.

   “Anywway, just let him fix it. You’ll look fine in wwhatever you wear Kanaya.”

   “ii’m gonna ju2t 2tay out of thii2.” Sollux is the one who puts his arms up this time and walks off.

   “Well Thanks To Your Red Flirt It Looks Like I’ll Have To Fix This Myself.” Kanaya pouts playfully and folds her arms… Then smiles a little and looks at the sea dweller. “Not That I Don’t Appreciate The Compliment.” Eridan quickly looks away from the brief eye contact and puts his hands in his pockets. Kanaya giggles a little and walks off. Eridan watches her go and can’t help but let the intrusive thoughts of his ancestor in. “Sometimes I still wonder if Dualscar actually took Dolorosa in because she was a good slave…. Or if it was because she was beautiful….” He thought… But Eridan quickly shakes the thought from his head and walks down the hall.

()

()

   “Throw me higher!” A little girl says as she falls into the gloved hands of the cat horned troll.

   “If I throw you any higher you’ll go into space!” The woman says. Yet she does a backflip with the child in her arms and then when she lands she uses the momentum to toss the girl high into the air. She screams happily and flails and the other children cheer and jump around excitedly waiting for their turns.

   “CAREFUL NEPETA, THEIR LUSUS’ WILL GET PISSED IF YOU HURT ONE OF THE KIDS.”

   “Aw KittyKat come on, let me have some fun with the wrigglers!” Nepeta laughs and catches the child. Karkat is sitting on a bench away from the group of children with his arms folded. When he’s not making sure Nepeta isn’t killing any of the kids, he’s looking around at the city that was in shambles when they left. As he looks down a street he sees a familiar purple troll walking towards them with an equally familiar female troll and of course Tavros is next to them. Karkat waves and stands up with a smile.

   “Karbro!” Gamzee shouts happily as he swoops over and swoops up his much smaller moirail into his arms. Karkat chokes a little with the tightness of the hug, but pats Gamzee on the back.

   “GAMZEE WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU? YOU TOLD ME TO MEET YOU IN TOWN YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE.” The larger purple troll laughs and sets his friend down. “Yeah I know I did bro. But I had to go look at the fuckin stars. You see all the motherfuckin’ trees and flowers and shit they got around here now?”

   “I DID. IT LOOKS WAY BETTER THAN BEFORE. HEY TAVROS AND OTHER GIRL TROLL WHO I CAN’T REMEMBER, WHICH I KNOW SEEMS SUPER RUDE BUT TIME FLIES AND SO DOES MY THINKPAN.”

   Chebur holds up a hand and shakes up her head. “Not a problem.”

   “kARKAT! yOU’RE ALMOST AS TALL AS i AM! yOU REALLY GREW UP! aND LOOK AT YOUR FACE IS THAT STUBBLE??”

   The candy red blooded troll feels his face a little and shrugs. “YEAH SO WHAT?”

   “hEHE. nOTHING IT LOOKS GOOD ON YOU ACTUALLY. iT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. wHERE’S NEPETA?”

   “ARE YA BLIND OR SOMETHING? SHE’S THE CENTER OF THAT WEIRDLY LARGE GROUP OF WRIGGLERS OVER THERE.” Karkat thumbs over to the olive blood woman playing with the kids. Nepeta looks up when she hears her name and sees the others. Her eyes go huge and so does her smile. She tells the kids that it’s break time and jumps over them and runs over, jumping up and tackling Gamzee around his neck. Gamzee laughs and swings her around a few times before setting her down so she could hug Tavros.

   “How are those Cat allergies Tavros?” Nepeta jokes. Tavros laughs nervously and hugs her back. “tHEY’RE BETTER THAN THEY USED TO BE, BUT THEY STILL EXIST FOR SURE. sORRY.”

   “Don’t be sorry! I’m just glad to see you guys! It’s been a sweep and a half since Karkat and I have seen you! You haven’t changed too much since I saw you then.”

   “You sure changed sis. You grew your hair out. I dig the pony tail look. S’cute.” Gamzee double pistols and winks at Nepeta with a stupid kissy face and she giggles.

   “I’m glad it suits me. Karkat says it looks good too, but he’s KARKAT so I wasn’t sure if he was being truthful. Anyway…” Nepeta stares at Chebur and Chebur just nods.

   “We’re all getting ready to meet up with the queen and her passengers.”

   “WHO’S ALL WITH HER?”

   “Let’s see…. The letter said that they’d be picking up the Psiioniic boy, vampire girl, the royal hipster, and the scourge sisters.”

   “That means we’re up and missin’ Equius and Aradia. Where are they” Gamzee look around, unable to believe that Equius is somewhere not near Nepeta…

   “THOSE TWO LIVE TOGETHER AND THEY LIVE PRETTY CLOSE TO US. SO THEY’LL SHOW UP IN ABOUT…” Karkat looks up at the sky to measure the sun and stars locations and the shadows of the buildings… Something he learned from the Signless before……. “IN AN HOUR AND A HALF I’M GUESSING.”

   “i CAN’T BELIEVE aRADIA FINALLY DECIDED TO BE IN eQUIUS’ RED QUADRANT. sHE WAS PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT not BEING IN IT WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER.” Tavros folds his arms and looks up at Gamzee. The larger troll shrugs.

   “Well we sure did grow up. So I guess Aradia picked up what Equius was putting down. I personally dig them as a couple. It’s a nice blend of castes that before would never EVER be a motherfucking THANG you know?” The large haired troll nods and puts his hands on his hips. Tavros nods agreeing, seeing as how he, a rust blood, was with the highest caste of land trolls.

   “OH YEAH THEY GOT TOGETHER A COUPLE SWEEPS AGO. I ALREADY KNEW IT’D HAPPEN THOUGH. IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO SEE THE CONNECTIONS THE TWO HAD.”

   “That’s sorta your thing you romantic motherfucker.” Gamzee smirks at Karkat, his romcom loving friend. Karkat just shrugs, already knowing this was true.

   “ANYWAY, WE MET UP WITH THE OTHER PURPLE TROLLS EXCLUDING A COUPLE OF THEM. IT’S SO WEIRD TO SEE HOW EVERYONE GROWS UP. BUT IT’S ALSO PRETTY GOD DAMN INTERESTING. ALSO GAMZEE WEREN’T YOU GOING TO MAKE TIEONO HIGHBLOOD? WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING WITH THAT?”

   Gamzee looks up with a sigh. “It was a difficult fuckin’ choice my main motherfucker. Almost all of them could have taken the role. But I up and decided to kibosh that bullshit tradition of killing the highblood before them in order to get their hands on the title.”

   “HOW CONVENIENT FOR YOU.” Karkat says jokingly.

   “Aw you know it ain’t like that. Besides I didn’t wanna kill any of my friends, that’d be bullshit. I WAS gonna have Tieono be Highblood after we would spar and I’d gauge his sweet SKILLZ. But he told me that he and Reznia were leaving and so he couldn’t be there to BE Highblood.” Shrug. “So I gave it to my second in command. Atori. I was really debating on giving Highblood status to Chebur here or Grooga, even Kloshe! But, no offense Chebur, I thought Atori who was with me the whole time fucking around with time and shit was the best choice.” Gamzee nods and the others nod as well.

   “ANYWAY guys,” Nepeta says “if those two are showing up in an hour and a half, then when will feferi and the others get here?”

   Chebur folds her arms and looks at Gamzee and Tavros

   “Boys, you seem to be the one to know most of this. Any ideas?”

   “uUUHHMMMM i THINK SHE’LL BE HERE TOMORROW? gAMZEE DO YOU KNOW?” Tavros looks up at his painted face red quadrant and fiddles with his hand. Gamzee holds Tavros’ hand and swings their arms back and forward lightly as he thinks.

   “Well I think it’ll be tomorrow morning or afternoon.”

   “How do you two stay in contact anyway?” Nepeta asks.

   “Well Fef sends me letters and I write her letters too. The world’s become a fuck ton easier to just BE now that Fef is queen.”

   The group all nods and mumble their agreements.

   “Well now that we’re all together, do you all want to come back to the stage and get some food and drinks?” Chebur faces the other way, indicating that’s the way they’d go. Karkat lights up.

   “HOLY FUCK I’M SO HUNGRY. I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS BUT I’M GONNA GO GET SOME GOD DAMN FOOD AND STUFF IT DOWN MY PROTINE SHUTE UNTIL I BECOME SO HEAVY I SINK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.”

   Everyone chuckles and agree to follow Chebur back to the tent.

()

()

   “Terezi hand me the screwdriver would you?” A Cobalt blooded troll woman asks. Her teal blooded moirail and all around best friend doesn’t take her hand away from her brail book as she reaches with her other hand for the screwdriver in a toolbox next to her and bends backwards on the chair and hands the tool over.

   “H3R3 YOU GO. WH4T 3X4CTLY 4R3 YOU DO1NG 4G41N VR1SKA?”

   “I’m 8eing fucking 8ORED. Rep8ring and tweaking anything I can see in this ship.” Vriska tightens several screws, ANY screws she can find around the room and walks around with heavy feet.

   “W3LL C4N YOU DO 1T 4NY QU13T3R? YOUR H33LS 4R3 TOO LOUD. T4K3 TH3M OFF.”

   “Pretty sure Feferi is queen, not you.”

   “VR1SK4.”

   “God FIIIIIIIINE.” Vriska sighs and takes off her high healed black and blue boots and tosses them.

   “What 8ook are you reading anyw8y?” The cobalt troll asks with some irritation. Terezi feels the front of the book with her free hand. “1T’S C4LL3D ‘TH3 UNW4NT3D K1DS WHO 4R3 S3NT 4W4Y BY TH31R P4R3NTS TO D13 1F TH3Y 4R3N’T CONS1D3R3D 4 “W4NT3D” OR “N3C3SS4RY” BY THE C1TY OF QU1LL 4ND—”

   “Isn’t that a kids book Terezi?...”

   “1F YOU 4CTU4LLY R34D /4NYTH1NG/ TH3N YOU’D KNOW TH4T TH1S S3R13S 1S SUP3R GOOD 4ND 1T DO3SN’T 3V3N M4TT3R 1F 1T’S 4 K1DS BOOK. 1T’S SO GOOD, YOU R34LLY SHOULD T4K3 4 LOOK 4T 1T SOM3T1M3.”

   Vriska puts a hand on her hip and looks at her friend dubiously.

   “Have you even picked an outfit for tomorrow? We’re gonna be meeting up with the others again after a couple sweeps and I don’t want to 8e seen with a poorly dressed p8le quadrant.”

   “JUST K33P YOUR UND3RB3LLY CONS34L3RS ON, I 4LR34DY P1CK3D WH4T 1’M GO1NG TO W34R.”

   At this moment Terezi was wearing a black spaghetti strap tank top on and some dark blue shorts. Her toenails were painted with her teal color and Vriska’s cobalt on every other toe. Vriska painted them of course to keep Terezi from licking or eating the nailpolish to get a better ‘look’ at them…

   “4ND B3FOR3 YOU 4SK, 1’M GO1NG TO K33P MY H41R DOWN. D34L W1TH 1T.” Terezi flips Vriska her middle finger and Vriska just rolls her eyes behind her glasses.

   “I like when your hair is down anyw8ys so fuck you too.”

   “H3H3. DO YOU TH1NK 3V3RYON3 W1LL B3 SUP3R D1FF3R3NT?” The two are silent, thinking about the possibilities.

   “Well… o8viously they’re going to 8e different LOOKING. 8uuuuuuuut I think everyone will pretty much 8e the same in personality. They’re pretty distinctive. Then again Tavros did do a 180 almost. From easy to manipul8, timid, shy little wuss… to a pretty confident no bullshit taking man.”

   Terezi grins a devilish toothy grin. “YOU T4LK 4LMOST L11111K333…”

   “Like what? Like I’m red for him? Pretty sure we esta8lished that I wasn’t.”

   “ONLY B3C4US3 G4MZ33 GOT TH3R3 F1RST.”

   “Yo can we may8e NOT talk a8out my stupid childish crushes of old? That’d 8e gr8. Or you know, we could go right into the Karkat thing.”

   Terezi’s grin fades a little and she shrugs.

   “4T L34ST 1 C4N 4DM1T TH4T 1 LOST MY CH4NC3. H3 L1K3D M3 4T TH3 T1M3 4ND 1 D1DN’T L1K3 H1M. TH3N 1 L1K3D H1M 4ND BY TH3N H3’D F4LL3N FOR N3P3T4 4ND TH4T’S F1N3. 1T JUST M34NS 1T W4SN’T M34NT TO H4PP3N. N3P3T4 D3S3RV3D H1M MOR3 4NYW4Y.”

   Vriska wants to think that Terezi feels hurt by what happened… but she knows that Terezi’s accepted how things went a long time ago and doesn’t care anymore. But really where’s the fun in having no drama anymore? What a 8ore.

   “I think that 8ack then I’d have 8een pretty put off 8y you not 8eing more persistent! 8ut since I’m older I feel like it’s good that you feel that w8y. Get over it and move on sorta attitude.”

   “MHM. WH4T T1M3 1S 1T?”

   “Uhhh…” Vriska looks around the room and spots a wall clock. “L8. Like, ‘we should get to bed’ l8. So put your kiddy 8ook away and let’s hit the h8y.”

   Terezi sighs and closes her book after dog earing the page. She knows Vriska hates that, but did it on purpose anyway to give her at least a little shot for her calling it a kids book. Vriska wrinkles up her nose at the gesture and sighs loudly. The two head to their beds and get to sleep.

   Not an hour later though, Vriska gets up and undogears the page and slips in a piece of paper to mark Terezi’s place. A small chuckle comes from Terezi’s room.

()

()

   “Aradia, do you neighed a break?” A tall bloo blooded male looks back to his maroon flushed quadrant.

   The desert is just starting to become a little less like sand dunes and more like cracked hard dirt. The night sky is beginning to turn light, but luckily this sunlight isn’t like the Alternian sun. Although that’s not to say that this sun won’t give them some sun burn…

   “Equius, I’ve been d0ing this f0r a pretty l0ng time. I can keep up with y0u just fine. But it’s sweet 0f y0u t0 ask. I kn0w y0u’d carry me the wh0le way if I let y0u.” Aradia looks up at her tall love with a smile, her red lips stretching to a soft point. Equius can’t stop himself from admiring her dimples with a small smile.

   “What’s that weird smile f0r?” She chuckles.

   “There is no weird smile.”

   “I saw that weird smile, y0u can’t f00l me Equius Zahhak.”

   “I beg to differ.”

   Aradia sighs and speeds up to walk at Equius’ side and takes his hand.

   “Are you neighrvous to see the others, Aradia?”

   Aradia looks up at Equius with a raised eyebrow. “N0 way, I’m really really excited t0 see them all actually. Are Y0U nerv0us?” Equius’ silence is enough of an answer.

   “Aw Equius we’ve all been friends f0r s0 l0ng, what are y0u w0rried ab0ut?”

   “I suppose it’s just the anticineightion.”

   “0h my g0d y0ur puns are the W0RST Equius. AnticiNEIGHti0n? Really?”

   “Don’t judge me.” Aradia laughs and baps the taller man on the arm.

   “We haven’t seen the others in a long time and you know how I worry. Worry about incredibly stupid things. Like what they’ll think of me once they see me after all this time. Will they think I’m steer-range? Unsociable? Weird looking?”

   The ram horned troll rolls her eyes. “Equius that’s silly. Besides d0n’t y0u think they’ll ALL be thinking that? All 0f them will be w0ndering if they’re still acceptable and if we’re all still friends even th0ugh it’s been s0 l0ng. It’s just a natural thing t0 think ab0ut. I’m p0sitive they w0n’t exclude y0u in anything. D0n’t be shy Equius, we’re all friends 0kay?” She smiles up at him with those cute dimples and Equius gives her a good look in the eyes. It’s easier to do these days with Equius not wearing sunglasses anymore.

   “I suppose I’ll do my best. I think they’ll be more confused that you’ve actually become my…. My flushed quadrant.”

   “We’ve talked ab0ut this Equius. We were kids and things were weird. But y0u didn’t f0rce me int0 anything. I WANT t0 be here. I WANT t0 be with y0u. It just t00k me a l0ng time t0 understand h0w I felt. T0 s0rt everything 0ut with myself. But I’m flushed for you Equius. And d0n’t y0u DARE f0rget it.”

   Aradia speeds up and then stops dead in front of Equius looking up at him, hands on her hips with a stern but cute look on her face. Equius stares at her quietly… It’s eaten at him all these sweeps, the fact that Aradia actually finally told him that she was flushed for him. He felt BAD. He thought that he’d bothered her so much and so often that he broke the only troll he’s ever really felt this way about. It’s nice to have her confirm her love for him… And even that makes him feel bad. That he can’t just get over his insecurities and be happy. Aradia already knows, but she loves Equius enough that she’s absolutely more than willing to remind Equius all the time that she won’t leave him. It can be tense sometimes, but usually a feels jam makes it all better. Aradia just wishes she could take away any and all stresses Equius has about himself.

   The smaller troll reaches up and takes Equius’ square jaw into her hands and pulls him down while she tiptoes up to kiss up.

   “G0t it? N0 matter what happens 0r what any0ne may dare t0 say, I’ll always be there. 0kay?”

   The Sagittarius’ blue eyes stare into the ram’s maroon ones… and he nods.

   “Got it.”

()

()

   “Hey, your majesty.” The purple sea troll says in the direction of a tall fuchsia throne chair, horns poking out from the front of it. “Time for bed. I’ll fly the ship wwhile you rest.”

   “Hehe. Eridan you don’t HAVE to call me your Majesty. We’ve known each other for too long, I’ve told you that. Things are different now.”

   “I….. I knoww. I just can’t help it is all. You’re asking me to change everything I kneww growwing up.”

   “I guess so. But you’d better stop saying it and learn something new! I’m gonna change the whole world in no time.”

   “You already havve.”

   “WE.”

   The two are quiet… until Eridan lets out a soft breath of what should be a chuckle.

   “Yeah, wwe. But uh… yeah I’ll fly the ship.”

   “I’m too –EXCITED to sleep though!”

   “Is the queen of all trolls pouting right noww?” A small laugh. The fuchsia troll stands up from her chair, her pink heals clicking on the white tile. She comes from around the chair and faces Eridan. “Radiant as always” He thinks. Although the second he thinks that, an image of Kanaya comes to mind. He shakes the thought away.

   “I’ll pout if I want to. I just can’t wait to see everyone! To see the city and everything! I’ve been watering it as often as I can along with all the other dry places.”

   “I know you havve. Wword from the girl named Persha is that evverything looks like it nevver has before. In a good wway.”

   Feferi sighs with relief. Her hair has grown longer and larger as have her horns. She resembles the Condescension so closely some still don’t trust her because of it. Yet she’s strayed from the Condy’s black and pink diving suit and stuck with her own brightly colored garb.

   “Oh really we got a letter back already? They’re fast down there.”

   “Yeah, tends to happen wwhen the fuckin’ ruler of the wworld is the sender.”

   Feferi giggles and rolls her eyes. She walks to Eridan and is now tall enough that the two are the same height, making eye level contant.

   “I’m --Excited to see what magic tricks you got up your sleeve for our arrival tomorrow.”

   “It’s nothing too flashy really. Enough to make a point I think.” Eridan lets out a smirk and Feferi can’t help but mirror the smirk with wide happy eyes.

   “Dang, you’re so cool Eridan!”

   “Ugh, please don’t say that, it’s truly unbecoming of you.” Eridan scrunches up his nose and holds up a hand to stop Feferi from speaking further. Feferi folds her arms and puffs up her cheeks.

   “You’re just awful at taking COMPLIMENTS.”

   “Yeah, from YOU. Especially wwhen you call me COOL. It’s unheard of and I refuse to take the compliment. Take it back.”

   “WHAT??? Take it—no! No way. You are keeping that compliment and that’s final, by order of the queen.” A firm nod from Feferi makes Eridan sigh.

   “I’m pretty sure this is wwhere I talk smack and then get charged for heresy and treason.”

   “You’re funny too when you want to be.” Feferi’s starting to love this little game they’ve begun. Eridan of course just becomes more uncomfortable.

   “You’re funny LOOKIN’. You’ve got a big ol’ knot in your hair.”

   “WHAT WHERE???” The purple sea troll chuckles and walks past her.

   “Nowwhere. Your hair’s fine Kanaya.”

   “Kanaya??” Feferi’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise and Eridan’s eyes go huge. He feels his stomach drop… And it drops even more when Feferi laughs out loud and holds her belly. She runs up to him and hugs him tightly from behind.

   “Youuuu liiiikee heerrrr!~ Don’t you?? Don’t you don’t you don’t you?? Eridan that’s SO CUTE!”

   Eridan stutters and chokes on his own air, unable to reverse what he’s just said. The queen snickers and turns her friend around and sees his nervous purple blush going all the way up his fins.

   “Awwwww sweety that’s precious—“

   “I don’t…. knoww howw I feel okay??”

   “I dunno, I feel like you calling ME of all people Kanaya and mentioning the hair is a pretty good indicator that you think of her in a flushed way.”

   “This is REALLY embarrassing Feferi, can we not talk about this right noww???” The seriousness of Eridan’s voice makes Feferi let go of him and stand a couple feet away.

   “I’m… I’m sorry Fef, I didn’t mean to sound like an asshole…” He feels pretty bad… but Feferi can only smile.

   “Don’t be sorry. I’m sure it must be weird for you. I think YOU should go to bed and get some rest.”

   “No no, piloting the ship will keep my mind off of things.” Eridan looks off to the side, avoiding eye contact at all possible times and scratches his head.

   “If you insist General Eridan.” Feferi salutes with a wide, pink lipped smile and then walks off.

   “When you figure it out though, you should say something. And be CAREFUL about it.”

   “You think I didn’t learn that already?” Eridan sits down in the throne seat and presses buttons on the command center to check everything. Feferi feels her heart hurt a little at that comment… Maybe she pushed him too far tonight… She still regrets hurting his feelings when they were younger. Enough that Eridan still feels weird about it all… He hides his hurt feelings under his japes and jabs at Sollux.

   “I’m sorry.”

   “Don’t be. It’s my owwn fault anyhoww. Night, Feferi.”

   “Good night Eridan.”

   Feferi walks out and leaves Eridan with his own thoughts.

   DAMMIT he hates when he fucks everything up. Even as an adult he just can’t seem to express himself correctly. He thought maybe he got over this bullshit.

   Not only that but he just blurted out Kanaya’s name like it was ACTUALLY her instead of Feferi that he was talking to. “When you figure it out, you should say something.” She says. Psh. He already knows he’d fuck it up somehow…

   Eridan decides that even if he does end up figuring out this Kanaya thing… and it turns out that he does in fact have red feelings for her… he’ll never ever tell her. He’d rather be alone for the rest of eternity than feel that deep sadness of rejection again…

   The General of the new army sits there cursing and damming himself for the rest of the day for deciding to follow Feferi to the highest ranks… when he should have just faded off and kept to himself…

   The creaking of the door knocks him out of his thoughts.

   “Fef I told you to go to bed. You havve a big day tomorroww and-“

   “Actually…” Kanaya’s voice comes. Eridan looks away from the screen and turns to look behind the chair at the glowing vampire troll. He quickly looks back to the screen with wide eyes behind his glasses and a blush he hopes she didn’t see.

   “It’s Just Me Eridan.”

   “Wwhat are ya doin’ up Kanaya? Can’t sleep or something?”

   Kanaya walks over to him in her jade flats and stands next to him.

   “Yes. It Sorta Comes With Being A Rainbow Drinker You Know.” They stand without saying a word for a few long minutes.

   “So did you come in here to talk to Fef and end up getting me?”

   “Well Yes And No. I Thought Maybe I’d Catch The Two Of You And Just Talk About Nothing In Particular.”

   “Huh. Wwell I sent her majesty to bed so it’s just me here. Did you have any subject in mind that you wwanted to talk about?”

   “Nothing Really. Living Alone Is A Bit Boring. I Believe I Picked A Place That’s A Bit Too Isolated From The Others.”

   “Oh yeah? I feel like I picked a place a little too CLOSE. Too noisy.”

   “In Your Head? You Sure Do Think A Lot Eridan. Not That That’s A Bad Thing. Doesn’t It Become A Constant Buzz Though?”

   Eridan scoffs and raises his eyebrows and nods. “Yeah that’s sort of an understatement. More like a jackhammer that has no off swwitch.”

   Kanaya is quiet. She can practically see the gears working in his mind and steam coming from his fins.

   “That’s Unfortunate. Hopefully The Buzz Of Tomorrow Will Dull The Jackhammers Noise.”

   “That’d be nice… Hey uh….” Eridan shakes his head, instantly regretting the beginning of that sentence. Didn’t he JUST tell himself that he’d never say anything??

   “Would You Like To Hang Out Tomorrow?” Eridan almost chokes on his own spit as he looks up at Kanaya a little surprised.

   “Uh… Yes… actually I wwouldn’t mind hanging out wwith you at all. You’re the only one I can hold a decent conversation wwith.”

   Kanaya gives Eridan a tiny smile when she sees him give her one. She loves getting smiles out of the guy. It’s pretty rare.

   “Then Tomorrow When We Go To The Welcoming Party, Or Whatever The City Has Planned, And You And I Will Hang Out. Especially In Case It Gets Awkward. Which I’m Sure It Will.”

   “Cool. I just hope you don’t get drunk and cut me in half?” A chuckle. Kanaya chuckles with him and then she gives Eridan’s hair a pet before walking away.

   “I won’t make any promises. Good night Eridan.”

   “Night.” Eridan’s face is totally purple. THAT WAS A WEIRDLY INTIMATE HAIR TOUCH THAT JUST HAPPENED. WHAT JUST HAPPENED. WHY DID THAT HAPPEN JUSTNOW WHY WHY WHY WHAT WHA WTHWYATH WHY….. He’s pretty sure his heart just had a palpitation because if that.

()

()

   Outside the door of the control room, Kanaya leans against the wall and clutches her chest, surprised at herself… She was already intending to…. to red flirt with him but… wow. She smiles and forgets to control her glowing skin and she just lights up like a light bulb.

   “Interesting Development. Hell yeah.” She says to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ()  
> Wow hey everyone. It’s been a while.  
> Life has been happening nonstop to me and recently I’ve become more inspired to write and draw. And I’ve gotten a whole lot of asks and requests about what happened after Feferi became queen. What happened to everyone and what’s up and wow what. So I’ve started this tiny little mini series that’ll probably be 3 chapters maybe if I see that everyone likes this and if it’s worth writing.  
> So yeah here’s this and there will be one or two more chapters… Maybe more depending on how things go and whatever.  
> Friendly reminder that I take drawing requests (from the story) and that I have a tumblr just for this New gen story. act3newgen . tumblr . com if anyone cares.


	19. Chapter 19

         In the city next to the juggalo’s about a hundred and fifty miles away stands a large group of people in capes and hoods. They mumble to each other waiting for their cue.

         Fireworks go off in a stadium not too far away from the group. There are many colors. A celebration of the new queen and the abandonment of the caste rules. They last for five minutes until the very last firework which blows up in a beautiful fuchsia. That’s their sign. The group of 70 trolls run from the event and head directly to the juggalo city. Among them is Kloshe. Together, this group has only one thing in mind.

         Killing Queen Feferi.

()

         The tent where Gamzee and the others first met the cities juggalos hasn’t changed a bit. The shop owner waves happily to Gamzee with a big smile. The Makara waves back just as happily and sneaks off from the group for a few seconds to buy a faygo.

         “WOW, IT STILL LOOKS THE SAME. A LOT OF THIS AREA LOOKS THE SAME.” Karkat looks around at all the food stands and shops. He remembers that just over this certain jewelry shop he could see Levina’s quaint restaurant. It’s not there anymore.

         “We didn’t want to change such a popular tourist attraction. Atori insisted it’d get us more money if people came to see the landmark where the highblood who changed everything lived and planned. Parts of the city have changed or expanded but for the most part the city as a whole agree that we liked things the way they were. So we didn’t add or get rid of anything.” Chebur stretches and pushes her now long hair behind her ear. Karkat looks up at her a little.

         “WHERE’S LEVINA’S PLACE. I DON’T SEE IT ANYMORE. IS SHE OKAY?” Chebur nods a little and looks off to where the building used to be.

         “She’s fine. Levina closed her restaurant at that location. It was too old to fix and she got her own little chunk of fame for being the first person Gamzee really talked to and trusted in this city. She owns a whole bunch of restaurants in a lot of different cities. So she’s managing them all in the bigger city to the north.” The group looks at Chebur happy to hear that the seafoam teal blooded girl had gone farther in her life.

         “Anyway while we wait for her highness let’s go inside. We still have eight people who aren’t here.” She walks inside with the group behind her and the inside is still the same. The open space which some called the ‘lobby’ because it was in front of the throne room where the giant chair still stands. Gamzee stares at it and hopes quietly that he doesn’t get that big…

         “There you guys are.” Comes a different voice. Tavros looks to the side and sees Atori walking over to them. His paint has calmed down from sharp points to more rounded relaxed patterns. He still doesn’t have a shirt on though.

         “Atori! Wazzup mister Highblood?” Gamzee says in a playful voice while he curtsies. Atori rolls his eyes. “It’s certainly the calmest I’ve ever seen the city, that’s for sure. Hey, to the rest of you.” He waves and Nepeta runs over and HUGS HIM.

         “Waaaa it’s so good to see you again! Where’s Persha and Marsho?”

         “They left to go do something for me. They’ll be back in a little bit though. Grooga went with them.”

         “aND WHERE’S kLOSHE?” Tavros looks around, careful not to clothesline someone with his horns. Atori folds his arms. “He’s off reading somewhere.” The troll looks at Gamzee, who seems to understand what he’s saying with a slightly narrowed gaze. Nepeta doesn’t look up, but from the corner of her eye she can see Gamzee is a bit unsettled and wonders what’s going on.

         “Huh. Well then should we get down to motherfuckin’ business? We got shit to talk about.”

         “WE DO?” Karkat raises an eyebrow at his moirail and puts one hand on his own hip.

         “I DIDN’T KNOW WE HAD SHIT TO TALK ABOUT. WHY WEREN’T WE TOLD ABOUT THE SHIT TALKING HUH?” Gamzee waves his big hand in a dismissive manner, sorta shushing Karkat. Atori and Chebur lead the way into the throne room. The seat of the old Grand Highblood’s throne has since become a meeting place for the purple group to talk about city happenings. Everyone climbs or jumps up. Once everyone’s seated on the giant throne Atori clears his throat.

         “Around here, rainbow trolls, we have a code speech when we’re in public. Everyone has their own code amongst the group you know about. We ask ‘where is’ whoever and then we respond with what they’re actually doing, or with a code.”

         “Sssoooooo Kloshe isn’t actually… somewhere reading?” Nepeta slowly shrugs, hoping she didn’t embarrass herself. But to her surprise Atori nods.

         “Yeah. He’s not actually reading anywhere.”

         “sO ARE YOU GOING TO TELL US THE CODES? dO WE NEED TO KNOW THEM?”

         “Not a lot of them Tavbro. Kloshe is the only important code right now. The others already got their motherfuckin jobs. Kloshe is the one who’s gonna fuck some shit up for us.”

         Karkat shakes his hands in front of him. “NO NO NO NO NO HOLD THE FUCK UP A SECOND. WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? I’D SERIOUSLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE FUCK WE’RE ALL TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I DON’T FUCKING GET IT AND IT’S PISSING ME OFF.” He looks at all the indigo trolls with angry eyebrows.

         “Ah just calm down motherfucker, I’m up and getting’ my explain on. Now listen ya’ll. Feferi, Atori and I all planned this fuckin’ visit a sweep ago. Kloshe’s code ‘he’s reading somewhere’ means he’s infiltratin’ the enemy and blendin’ in with them and shit. Because he’s READIN’ the enemy, get it?” Tavros appears surprised at this. He was wondering who Gamzee was talking to so late in the day… He just figured Gamzee had lost his mind a little bit and started talking to himself.

         “Wait so… something bad is going to happen at this visit with Feferi??” Nepeta looks around confused. Why would they plan for something bad to happen to Feferi?

         “Yeah, something bad WAS gonna happen.” The Leo looks at Atori with question.

         “It’s been six and a half sweeps since Feferi has become queen. But some are not happy. It was inevitable really. Feferi is changing how the world works. She’s banned caste restrictions and segregated living from the other blood colors, changed how people think and feel about the old queen, telling everyone how wrong it was. Most people agreed and switched their loyalties to her pretty fast. But there are still shadows of old supporters of the Condescension. They still think the old ways should be the ONLY ways because that’s all they’ve ever known. These people are older and are usually of higher blood ranks.”

         “SO THAT’S WHY OLD ROYAL INDIGO BLOODED KLOSHE WENT TO JOIN THE REBELS AND LEAK INFORMATION TO YOU.”

         “Correct Karkat. Smart as always.” Karkat looks off to the side a little. Praise is still a weird feeling for him.

         “Yes, Kloshe has bled into the group. We heard they wanted to murder Feferi, but they wanted to do it in front of people. So when I told Gamzee, he said that we should set up an event where Feferi comes to the place of her predecessor’s death to mark the transition into the new world and celebrate. It’ll be all over TV on every news channel. The perfect setting for this rebel group to move in and try to kill Feferi.”

         Nepeta gulps. “But… what if she gets really hurt?” A chuckle from Gamzee shakes her from her thoughts and she elbows him. “What the heck is so funny?” The bigger troll looks down at her with a sly grin. Nepeta thinks…. And then her eyebrows raise in realization.

         “That’s why we’re all going!!” She shouts. Gamzee nods.

         “Yep. We’re sorta the protection squad for our Queen friend. If anything happens to her it’ll be OUR fault. Atori and I love the people of this town and we thought about letting them defend her for like ten seconds, but the only ones who know Feferi well enough and that have fought as such a big fuckin’ group was us. All twelve of us have been fightin’ together for a long motherfuckin’ time. So of course we’re the number one idea for a defense. We’re gonna weed those fuckers out.”

         Chebur clears her throat. “While we’re trying to stray from the Condescension’s path of killing all who oppose her…” Her powerful stare looks as if she would never forgive whoever was in her line of sight… “If anyone dares to threaten her… Depending on the severity of the threat they could get as little as one sweep in prison. But those who make an actual attempt to harm Feferi will probably be killed before he can finish taking his first stupid step.”

         “Hehe. I missed you sis.” Gamzee smiles at Chebur. He was never much for hurting anyone, but he really likes Chebur’s no bullshit attitude. And he agrees. No one hurts his fucking friends and gets away with that shit.

         “wHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘PROBABLY?’” Karkat leans forward and squints his red eyes at Chebur.

         “It’s exactly what it means. Probably. There are circumstances and conditions that have to be met for us to murder them outright. There could be trolls who were dragged into this rebel group who don’t really want to hurt the queen. They could have been threatened as well. ‘If you don’t help kill that bitch then we’ll kill you or someone you love.’ What do you do then if you’re too weak to help yourself?” Chebur sighs. “We’re trying to show mercy. A thing trolls aren’t used to. Basically if someone runs up to the queen with intent to kill, they will be killed that second.”

         “YOU GUYS ACT LIKE FEFERI CAN’T DEFEND HERSELF. DID A SINGLE ONE OF YOU PEOPLE SEE HER FIGHTING? SHE /IS/ THE ONE WHO DEALT THE FINAL BLOW TO THAT BITCH IN THE FIRST PLACE.” Karkat folds his arms angrily, causing Nepeta to pat his knee. Gamzee puts his big hand on Karkat’s head and messes up his hair, gaining a groan and a swat from the smaller troll.

         “Karbro we know GOD DAMN WELL that Feferi ain’t no fuckin’ push over. She’ll cut a bitch if she has to. But the point is to keep the rebels from making it on tv and from getting near Feferi. We’re trying to make this a… a...”

         “A covert operation.”

         Gamzee snaps his finger and points to Atori. “Yeah, that shit. Secret bro. Secret. Do it quiet, do it quick. Besides Kloshe knows who everyone is and WHERE everyone is gonna be.”

         “sO UH… WHAT ARE EVERYONE’S ROLES? wE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN HERE A DAY EARLY… THIS FEELS LIKE A LOT OF INFORMATION.” Tavros scratches the back of his moehawk and slumps a little.

         Atori holds his hand out to Chebur. The woman holds her hand out and a purple flame grows in her palm. The flame bursts and a big rolled up piece of paper plops into Atori’s grasp. Nepeta ooooh’s at the display. The Highblood Atori stands and unrolls the paper, tacking it onto the back of the throne.

         “Do you guys feel like you’re in schoolhive?”

         Everyone looks at Atori confused.

         “What’s that?”

         “…..Nevermind. Look, everyone’s roles are written down here.”

         Everyone stands and walks closer to the map and role list. Gamzee scans it quickly to see what the others are doing. Persha and Marsho are spies and snipers watching from afar and radioing in any changes to the plan. Grooga will be in the crowd as the muscle and evacuator if necessary.

         “Every one of your roles is important to this thing we’ve got goin’ here.” Atori says, bapping his palm on the paper. “Even one of you not doing your job could get someone seriously hurt. So we’re all really putting 100% of our trust in you.”

         Gamzee laughs and grins fiercely. “Motherfucker who the fuck do you think we are??” Atori smiles a little and nods.

         “You’re right, my mistake.”

         “But? What happens if someone does get hurt Gamzee? Then what?” Chebur folds her arms. Always the disciplinarian…. Gamzee puffs out his chest and also folds his arms, looking down at her.

         “Ain’t gonna happen.”

         “What IF.”

         “IF. Anyone gets hurt—“

         “CAREFUL GAMZEE. DON’T SAY ANYTHING STUPID YOU’LL REGRET IF ONE ASSHOLE GETS A PEBBLE TO THE EYE.” Nepeta and Tavros snicker a little, waiting for Gamzee’s response.

         “I think you should just stay quiet Gamzee, I believe you.” Atori says quickly.  Gamzee deflates and sighs.

         “Fine.”

         “Hell0000!~” Aradia’s voice calls. The group turns around to see Aradia standing tall with a big red lipsticked smile on her face.

         “Oh shit Aradia, lookin’ good! Your horns are hella big now sis!” Gamzee says with a wave.

         “I try.” The group climb down the throne or jump down with the paper now rolled up again. Everyone learned their roles and the others who are not there have already been briefed by Feferi and Eridan no doubt.

         Nepeta runs over and tackle hugs Aradia around the neck.

         “I missed you so much!”

         “We saw each 0ther a m0nth ag0 Nepeta.” Aradia giggles.

         “I don’t care I always miss you when you and Equius go back home! Speaking of which, where is that giant walking muscle anyway?”

         “Getting t0 his p0st. While we were walking 0ver here we saw that big gr0up running t0 this city. There were alm0st a hundred 0f them. They seem t0 be c0pying what we did when we were preparing t0 kill the C0ndescensi0n; All 0f them wearing cloaks.”

         Chebur puts her hair in a ponytail and begins to stretch her arms.

         “Well if they’re here it means that Feferi will be showing up any time now. Looks like we better get ready ourselves.”

         “I agree. I c0uldn’t sp0t Kl0she but I kn0w he’s with them.” Aradia nods and pats Nepeta on the head with a smile.

         “Is every0ne ready t0 kick s0me rebel ass?”

         Karkat can’t help but think she’s sorta scary when she’s in an ass-kicking mood…..

()

         “Are You Ready To Go Feferi?” Kanaya peeks into Feferi’s large room on the ship. The queen is putting on her favorite pink lipstick and pink mascara and eyeliner.

         “Yeah I’m just finishing up. I hope YOU’RE ready. The rebels are probably gonna be pretty fast.”

         Kanaya snorts at the idea. She walks in and stands next to Feferi grabbing her brush and straightens out some parts Feferi couldn’t get.

         “I’m Almost Insulted You Even Said That.”

         “Hehe. Sorry. I don’t want your cute outfit to get ruined is all.” Feferi looks up at Kanaya in the mirror and smiles at her friend.

         “This Outfit Was Especially Made For This Type Of Occasion. I Knew It’d Happen So I Prepared. Do You Know How Hard It Was To Sew This Last Night? Sollux And Eridan BOTH Had To Help Me.”

         The fuchsia queen tilts her head a little. “Eridan helped?”

         “Well Certainly. He Couldn’t Be Bested By Sollux, You Know That.”

         “True.” Feferi nods and thinks back to the exchange last night… She knows she shouldn’t have said what she did… Her eyes move up and she can see a light shade of green on Kanaya’s cheeks. She raises an eyebrow.

         “Kanaya?” No answer. “Kanaya.” The Vampire looks up quickly.

         “What? I’m Sorry I…”

         “Did something… happen last night?”

         Kanaya’s Eyes Go A Bit Wider And She Quickly Shakes Her Head. “No No Don’t Be Silly, Something Like What?”

         Feferi squints a little with a small smirk. “Something like you and Eridan having a chat or something?”

         “Oh Gosh Well Let Me See…. I’m… Not Entirely Sure WHAT Happened Last Night. I’m Pretty Confused Myself.”

         “Spill Kanaya, I wanna know --Everything.~” The queen giggles an Kanaya just blushes more and sets the brush down on the top of the Hollywood style dresser.

         “Well… I Really Only Went In There To Talk To You. Or Him Or Sollux. Just To Talk To Someone. About Nothing In Particular. We Talked About Regretting The Places We Picked To Live… And… I Invited Him To… Hang Out. After Everything Is All Said And Done With The Rebels, When The Actual Welcoming Party Starts We Would Stay Off To The Side And Observe And Just Chill With Each Other. And He Agreed And Then.. I Suppose I… Accidentally Red Flirted With Him.”

         Feferi’s jaw drops, but her gaping mouth points up into a beautiful smile. “ACCIDENTALLY red flirted with him?? I dunno that sounds like a deliberate red flirt to me. Did he at all seem to respond… with red as well?”

         “Gosh Feferi You’re Sure Nosey Today!” Kanaya says rubbing her heated cheeks. The queen stands up and turns to her friend and holds her arms.

         “No way, this is great! I’m not gonna lie girl, I hope things turn out for the better.”

         “8ecause you want him off your ass?” Vriska walks in the door with Terezi behind her. Feferi looks over and then lets go of Kanaya.

         “That’s—“

         “True. Of course you want him to stop thinking a8out you like that so you’re hoping that Kanaya takes the hit for you.” The cobalt woman folds her arms and leans on her right leg. Terezi comes up next to her and thumbs at the red eyes of her dragon head staff.

         “VR1SK4 TH4T’S R34LLY NOT YOUR PL4C3 TO S4Y. 4ND 1T’S SUP3R NOT YOUR BUS1N3SS.” Vriska rolls her eyes and pushes up her glasses.

         “It’s true though.”

         “1’M PR3TTY SUR3 YOU’R3 JUST J34LOUS B3C4US3 YOU H4D 4 R3D CRUSH ON K4N4Y4 WH3N W3 W3R3 KI1DS.” Feferi snickers and grins at Vriska when her mouth opens wide with shock at Terezi’s jab.

         “I’d Appreciate It If You’d All Stop Talking As If I Were Not Here. Listen, Either Way, No Matter How Things End Up It’s My Choice And It Doesn’t Affect Any One Of You At All.” Kanaya puts her hands on her hips and narrows her gaze a little. Her and Vriska look down their noses at each other and stay quiet.

         “/II’D/ appreciiate iif you guy2 got ready to go, becau2e 2hiit’2 gonna go down iin fiive miinute2. No one ha2 tiime for your giirly go22iip.”

         Sollux leans against the doorframe and folds his arms. Terezi nods. “1 4GR33. COM3 ON GUYS.” She walks out following Sollux and Vriska rolls her eyes then follows them, leaving Kanaya and Feferi again.

         “Sorry… I hope you don’t feel that way… I can’t lie. I sorta do hope you two get red. I want him to leave me be and I want to stop feeling bad about how much I hurt him… But listen, that’s not the only reason. I want him to move on. I want HIM to be happy and to stop staring at my back as I walk away from him… You understand right? He needs….”

         Kanaya holds up her hand.

         “Everyone’s Rather Pushy Today… But I Understand What You’re Saying Feferi. And I Agree. He Needs To Find Someone Else For Both Of Your Sakes. But I Won’t Force Either Of Us To Become Red If It Isn’t Going To Work Out. Things Have Always Been Strange Between The Two Of Us, Eridan And I… But Now That I’m Older I Can Look Back And See Exactly What Happened And What Went Wrong… Eridan Wasn’t The Only One Who Messed Up… Now Let’s Go. We Have Some Rebels To Snatch.”

         Feferi bites the inside of her cheek a little… It was true. She just wanted Eridan off her back and would even thrust him upon her friends… And even the thought of getting rid of him like he’s some object makes her sad and disappointed in herself… But she can’t think of that right now.

         Everyone on the ship gets to where the door will eventually open at the bottom of the Piscies sign shaped ship.

         Through the monitor just above their heads they can see the city come into view. People of the town have already begun to gather around and wave and hold signs of welcome and love. Eridan stands at the control system for the door scanning the crowd. He hums to himself when he sees the hooded figures. He wonders if they’re stupid, because he can clearly see them. They don’t cheer with the others. They’re cloaked with hidden faces. Hmph.

         On the ground Atori and Gamzee stand on the stage where the curtains are drawn back. Atori raises his voice to the crowd.

         “Everyone, please give our queen a warm welcome!” The city cheers and holler their praises.

         Eridan opens the door and walks away from the door over to some other exit way. Feferi walks out with Sollux. No one comes out afterwards… All part of the plan.

         Feferi waves and smiles at everyone happily. Her and Sollux walk down the metal promenade until they get to the ground. They walk up the four steps up to the stage and she stops in front of Atori.

         “Hey Atori.” She says quietly. Atori just stays silent and bows his head to her. The crowd calms down and they do the same.

         Sollux, Feferi, Gamzee and Atori stand in a line on the stage. In the crowd Sollux can spot all of his friends ready to take action when needed. For crowd control, which includes possible evacuations and the detaining of the rebels or other city folk who may just have a change of heart, stands Tavros in the center to draw attention from Aradia, Terezi and the rather large Grooga who are spread through the crowd. Along the perimeter of this large group are Eridan, Kanaya, Nepeta, Karkat, Vriska and eventually Kloshe when he comes out of hiding. This group will be the fighters if and WHEN things start to get messy. Up on rooftops are Marsho, Persha and Equius who serve as snipers in this situation… Just in case one slips by or tries to run away.

         The crowd quiets down so they can listen to their queen’s words. Feferi smiles widely, her dimples making some swoon, and waves with her free hand. Her other hand has her large trident in its grasp. A silent show of power.

         “Hello people of this city, and hello to those watching from their tv’s and husktops!! The Six and a half sweep anniversary has finally come. The anniversary of course is the celebration of our freedom from the old ways. The ways that restricted us and made us hate each other and treat each other horribly based only on the color of our blood.”

         Equius, high on a rooftop can already spot someone beginning to move. He notches an arrow onto the string of his bow, but doesn’t yet pull back…

         “Today is the day that me and my friends stood up against what was wrong. We looked the Condescension right in the eyes and told her that she couldn’t just kill people for no reason. Or for fun. Do you know what she did?.... She laughed at us and showed no remorse.”

         Another cloaked person begins to walk forward. Eridan from the middle of the crowd spots these people quickly and figures that the REAL rebels are sending in the decoys who don’t really want to be here up to the stage so they can distract the defense they know must have been set up. He and Aradia begin to sneak forward to trail the decoys. Just in case…

         “That was the last straw… And while Gamzee and Atori both expected this to happen and prepared us and trained us… the battle was still the hardest thing that’s ever happened. I’ve watched the Condesce kill people I cared about. Kill people that were precious to others. With a straight face she murdered them for no other reason than that she was BORED. The group who fought that woman were of all the color castes. Every one of every color blood fought hard. For their lives and for the lives of others.”

         A hooded figure comes up next to Karkat and puts his hand on his shoulder. That was Karkat’s cue to move in. The rebel group had planned out every single detail of this attack. Kloshe had told Atori and Gamzee everything. The two decoys would move in. And then a third would come in and pretend yet again to be the real attack. Double fake out. That’s when the mass slaughter would take place… So everyone had to be on their toes. There were 70 of these fuckers after all. The second half of the plan would be that if a lot of the rebels were caught, there’d be a backup group not doing anything so that when the team thought they’d caught all the troublemakers, the third wave would surprise them and get the upperhand. So every member of the rainbow group was assigned at least three trolls of the rebel group to take down. Karkat heads to his three.

         “Even the people of this city fought. They threw rocks and knocked over fallen pillars in hopes that it’d land on her. And that was so brave. I can never thank everyone enough for their participation…” Feferi puts her hand to her chest and gives a small bow, making the crowd gasp a little. The queen bowing was unheard of.

         “I know you all have been adjusting to this new life. To these new rules that I’ve laid out. It’s harder for some than others and that’s understandable. When you go sweeps knowing only one set of rules, that just becomes the way of life… And when some new girl none of you have ever heard of pops up and stabs the old queen in her face, you question my motives; My role as queen. You wonder if I’m good enough. Can I handle all of this, can I fix what has been so VERY wronged? The answer is yes.”

         The two decoys start to rush through the crowd. Gamzee stares one of these rebels in the face. It’s just a kid. The same age he was when this whole thing started on the meteor… The kid sees Gamzee’s softened expression and stops moving… He gulps and Gam can see the gears moving in the boys head…. Finally the boy takes off his hood, showing that he means no harm.

         Rebel decoy number two wasn’t so smart. He pushes aside people and begins to make a commotion. At the same time the double decoy grabs out a knife and moves his arm to throw it. But he’s tackled by Vriska and held to the ground. She knocks him out with a swift blow to the neck and then sneaks off in the crowd to find her other two targets. The cloaked figures all begin to move at once, but so does the fighter group and crowd control group.

         Sollux from the stage with is psiioniic powers makes sure the camera’s stay on Feferi only and that the audio only catches her voice instead of the ruckus that’s starting. Feferi talks like nothing’s wrong and even the city folk who are present can see that this is deliberate and they go along with it.

         The first 21 rebels are caught easily, three for the seven trolls in the crowd. The next wave of rebels swarm in and start shoving people and making a break for Feferi! Kanaya finds it necessary to get out her chainsaw lipstick when she sees large broadswords in their hands. She revs up the chainsaw loudly on purpose and runs after the rebels. They see the chainsaw and know their swords are no match and run away. The sniper group shoot arrows that pin the cowards to the dirt so they can be collected later on by local authorities.

         Across the sea of trolls a few rebels start swinging wildly at Karkat and Nepeta.

         “Psh, Karkitty are you seeing this? So rude!”

         “I KNOW, JUST TAKE THEM DOWN QUICKLY. THEY’RE OLD AND DON’T GIVE A SHIT. BUT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STUPID RULES.”

         “Aw don’t say that when Feferi is trying so hard to make these rules a way of life!” She teases and jumps onto one of the cloaked figures, knocking the knife from his hand. Another rebel surprises Karkat and stabs him on the top of his shoulder. Karkat ducks quickly and swipes his feet and knocks the other guy over and then kicks him in the head.

         “FUCK. THAT’S WHAT I GET FOR LOOKING AWAY FOR ONE GOD DAMN SECOND.”

         “Karkat???” Nepeta says worriedly. She sees the knife sticking out of his shoulder and her eyes go big. But Karkat just pulls it out and throws it aside. Some look at Karkat’s blood with shock. That color… But Karkat has seen that look so much he doesn’t even notice anymore.

         “DON’T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN TOO, PAY ATTENTION AND GET YOUR GUYS! I’LL BE FINE.”

         Across the giant group of cityfolk, Terezi’s senses kick in.

         “K4RK4T’S B33N WOUND3D.” Tavros holds one of the cloaked figures by their hood in the air, sorta choking him.

         “cAN YOU TELL IF HE’S OKAY? dO WE HAVE TO GO HELP?”

         “NO 1 DON’T TH1NK SO… W3’V3 T4K3N OUT TW3NTY…S3V3N OF TH3S3 DOUCH3S. FOURTY S3V3N—UH, FOURTY S1X TO GO. L3T’S M4K3 1T F4ST. F3F3R1’S SP34CH 1S 4LMOST OV3R 4ND TH3 C4M3R4’S W1LL B3 PUT B4CK TO NORM4L.”

         “gOT IT!”

         Eridan bumps into Kanaya and damn near gets chopped in half vertically from the crotch up.

         “Ah sheeze! Wwatch wwhere you’re swwingin’ that damn thing!”

         “Oh, Eridan. I’ve Gotten Word That We’re A Third Or So Done. The Second Wave That’s Just Begun To Move Is More Violent Than The Previous One. And After This Wave They’re Likely To Get Desperate And Break Form, So Be Careful.”

         “I should say the same to you.” Eridan holds his rifle up and puts the tip of it on Kanaya’s shoulder. In the past she would have been confused and freaked out, but she knows now that Eridan is using her shoulder as support so he can shoot past her. Which he does. He stuns a cloaked rebel with the blast and he falls over.

         “Thanks.”

         “Not A Problem. Did You Still Want To Hang Out When The Party Starts?”

         “You’re sure fuckin’ casual right now. But uh…. Yeah. I’d still like to hang out wwhen this is ovver.” Eridan nods and Kanaya nods back with a small smile. She runs past him and Eridan looks after her… then he runs off to get others.

         The crowd is both trying to listen to Feferi and try to keep any baddies from slipping by them and hurting their queen! Sollux is observing everyone and makes sure to get a close up of Feferi’s face just in case anything happens. Which it absolutely does.

         A flying knife comes through the air directly for Feferi’s face. She doesn’t flinch though. Because she trusts that her friends will take care of it. And indeed, Gamzee swings his giant hand down and the knife sticks itself in his palm, blood spurting from the sides. Gamzee quickly swings his hand down out of the camera’s view. The people in the crowd gasp a little but they see that the indigo troll keeps a straight face and relax a little. They look behind them and see the man who threw the knife is tackled by Karkat and knocked out.

         Some of the more scared rebels run away and while most of them are caught by Equius and the other two, Kanaya still runs after them. Two rebels stop running and turn around and jump Kanaya. They slash at her face with swords and knives. She gets a few cuts on her exposed flesh but she takes the two out. Someone from behind surprises Kanaya and knocks her to the dirt hard. It dazes her for a second but doesn’t have time to react. The angry eyed rebel thrusts a spear down to her. She closes her eyes tightly but nothing happens. When she opens her eyes she sees Eridan with the spear through his thigh just in front of her face. The sea dweller breaks the rebel’s nose with the force of his punch and then he sighs after the knocked out troll falls.

         “Didn’t I just tell you fivve minutes ago to be fuckin’ careful?!” He yells, mostly out of pain.

         “I… I’m Sorry.” Kanaya sits up and breaks the end of the spear and pulls out the other end. Eridan grits his sharp teeth, but doesn’t make a sound.

         “You Didn’t Have To Do That, Eridan.”

         “I’d rather my leg get fucked up than you get a spear betwween your eyes. Look, I just passed Terezi a minute ago and she said wwe’re almost done. But you knoww there wwill be one last wwave. They’ll be the tougher more adamant ones.”

         “Hmph. While We May Have Gotten A Few Scratches And… Other Wounds, We Didn’t Help Kill That Wretched Woman To Be Embarrassed Because We Couldn’t Detain Seventy Weak Rebels.” Eridan stares at her…. Then nods.

         “Fuck yeah. But just because they’re wweak doesn’t mean wwe should let our guard dowwn. As you can see they can still mess us up. So let’s end this quickly.”

         “Yes.” The two nod to each other and split again.

         The speech continues and so does the fighting. Finally the end of the second wave comes and they’re easily taken care of.

         “Some of you may have noticed…” Feferi starts. Sollux looks at her a little. Is she going to…

         “But behind this camera has been a lot of fighting.” She is. Sigh. Sollux zooms out slowly from her face with is psiioniics and moves a few of the cameras and turns on a split screen feature so Feferi’s face is on the right side of the screen and on the left side is the fighting.

         “Some people are still hell bent on keeping the old ways. I’ve been transitioning to the new way slowly, but even so that won’t stop everyone from being mad… And that’s okay. It’s change. It’s a drastic change. But as you can see, even though they want me dead, my friends aren’t killing them.”

         The final wave begins. They rush in with maces, sais, bats, axes and long arm blades. Eridan is glad he chose to wear his armor, although he feels he’ll have to adjust the design so he doesn’t get his leg hurt like that again. But he runs in there god damn head first, plowing through the first eight until finally he’s pushed back. Arrows fly from the rooftop sniper group but they’re blocked by the rebels weapons. Karkat rushes in there and does a god damn flying head kick to two cloaked jerks. He lands and Nepeta frog jumps over him and spins in the air, then finally lands with her hands on one of their shoulders and she swings the guy off his feet and throws him into two more people. Tavros comes over with Vriska and Terezi and the three of them clothes-line four more trolls. Kanaya rushes with her chainsaw, but presses a button and the whirring weapon transforms with a bright light into a spear and knocks three more down at their feet. Grooga walks up with Kloshe and they take out two each, finishing off all 70 opposing trolls. Not a single one is dead.

         “Your Majesty!” One person from the crowd calls. Feferi looks down at the young man who was the first to give up at the sight of Gamzee.

         “I… I didn’t want to hurt you but… I still don’t understand why you’re making all of the caste colors blend! I thought it was better that everyone was separated!”

         Feferi stares into the earnest eyes of the young man and then smiles softly.

         “You’re still young. So it’s good that things are changing now. I grew up a little differently than everyone else. My friends and I lived on Alternia, and when we were only 3 sweeps old all of the adults were banned from that planet. It was only us kids. So there was never anyone to teach us that different colors were strange. While some found books and old writings about the separation and took it to heart, there were others of us that didn’t agree with how things were. It obviously wasn’t doing so great. I say this because there was a war a really long time ago that the older trolls here will remember maybe. One candy red blooded troll, who some would call a mutant, stood up against this status quo and told everyone of his dreams, told them about justice. He’d also grown up with people of different blood color. And hearing that those of ‘lower’ castes were hated and culled for no reason, while the higher ranked colors were better made him sad. So he traveled around the whole world preaching his message of love and equality. But it all came to an end when the queen before me found out. The Grand Highblood at the time thought it best to make a show of torturing the candy red blooded troll and finally he had the Executioner shoot and kill him. A movement similar to yours young man was made sweeps later. But that was easily stomped out by the force of the army… Every single one of the rebels were murdered. Is that really how we all want to live our lives?” Feferi looks back at the camera.

         “Do we really all want to hate each other and kill each other because the color of our blood is different? Because it’s lower or higher? Is that REALLY what the people of this planet want to waste their time on?! I think it’s wrong. All of my friends are different colors and things were bumpy for a while. But we all VERY quickly learned that it’s not worth the energy to HATE. We are all born on this planet with two eyes, arms and legs, lungs and a HEART.” She takes a deep breath and holds Sollux’s hand tightly.

         “HATRED IS TAUGHT!! YOU ARE NOT BORN HATING OTHERS!!” She raises her voice so everyone can hear her loud and clear.

         “Hasn’t anyone else noticed that it doesn’t matter what blood color you are when you’re in ANY of the quadrants??? You don’t ONLY go red for the same color as you. You don’t only go black for those who are the same color as you! Or Ashen or Pale! It’s ridiculous!! See this guy here??” She points to Sollux with her freehand and Sollux’s eyes go a little wide, embarrassed that he’s a part of this.

         “This man has yellow blood. But I LOVE him. Not for the color of his blood… but for WHO HE IS…. Guys! Come up here.” She looks into the crowd at her friends and waves her hand up at Equius as well. It takes a few minutes but everyone gets onto the stage.

         “Do you see the people who’ve paired up?”

         Gamzee stands with Tavros and the two hold hands with smiles on their faces. Tavros can’t help but blush. This isn’t DEFINITELY something that’s never been done before… widely broadcasted displays of affection….

         Aradia holds Equius’ hand tightly and holds it up in the air and wiggles their arms. Equius whispers for her to stop but Aradia is NOT fucking afraid to show her love!!

         Terezi and Vriska link arms with wide grins.

         Nepeta hugs Karkat tightly and the red blooded troll puts his arm around Nepeta’s shoulders, not looking at the camera or anything in particular really. The only obvious thing is the red blush on his cheeks, which Nepeta kisses.

         Kanaya and Eridan stand next to each other not touching really… until finally the two of them hold hands at the same time. They look at each other with slight shock and then blush profusely. The two look away from each other, gripping the others hand tightly. Eridan had no idea how… NICE it felt to have Kanaya’s slim hand in his own…. They’ve never really held hands in any sort of red way but… this is…

         “Love can be found in any shape! Any size!... And especially any color. There will never be another war over something so stupid ever again! If you don’t like how these new rules are, I can appease your wishes and keep YOU away from the people who want to move forward with their lives! I will NOT be a Queen that make you all fear the coming of tomorrow. I will NOT come to your town and flood you because I’m feeling weird that day! I won’t force you to love each other or hate each other. But… I won’t let things get so chaotic ever again. I don’t care if I have to live all the way into eternity completely alone! I will protect the people! I will protect your freedom and your lives and your rights! I will protect the entire spectrum!!”

         Sollux closes his eyes and smiles. He’s so proud of Feferi…

         The queen takes a deep breath and speaks softly.

         “Don’t be afraid to relax. Because I’m here for you. All of us are here for you.”

         The crowd is silent with wide eyes at their queen… This is the first REAL speech since she’s been queen. Feferi has stayed silent because she was hoping people would ease out of their old ways. But the amount of distrust and worry and hatred that was still going around was the last fucking straw for her. And now everyone has heard how their queen feels for real….

         Some of the trolls begin to cry with happiness while the rest of the crowd screams and shouts happily, throwing their arms up. Instead of throwing rocks or knives, they throw flowers.

         On the stage Tavros grits his teeth and holds back tears… He’s so happy… It’s really official. Blood color ranking is bullshit and he doesn’t have to feel bad about himself or his love for a highblooded troll. Gamzee looks down at his flushed quadrant and smiles softly, leaning down and kissing Tavros right on his fucking mouth. Tavros swings his arms around Gamzee and they kiss.

         Aradia is NOT about to be shown up! She grabs Equius’ face in her soft hands and kisses him with a smile. Equius finds it in himself to relax and kiss her back, putting his large arms around her thin waist. The crowd woops and cheers and laughs and hug one another, some practically dancing.

         To the side is Eridan and Kanaya still holding hands. They see their friends kiss and they blush even more wondering if they should join the bandwagon…. Eridan keeps quiet and tries to stand up straight and look esteemed. Kanaya thinks this just doesn’t suit him. She unhands herself from Eridan and puts that hand softly on his face, guiding his chin to look at her. The purple sea troll holds back a gulp and stares at Kanaya.

         “Eridan?...”

         “Don’t feel obligated, those guys wwere gonna do that anywway.”

         “I Know. But…. I… I Thought About Doing This In The First Place.” She stands on her toes and kisses Eridan lightly on the lips. This is obviously a shock for Eridan. He was NOT expecting this… but he’s glad that she took the initiative. The seatroll smooches Kanaya back and uses his free hand and pulls her closer to him.

         “Hehe. Wow Feferii, you 2ure got the love traiin goiin’.” Sollux says under his breath. Feferi giggles and faces her flushed quadrant. “Yeah. I guess I did. But don’t think for a second that I won’t be joining in.” Sollux blushes yellow and reaches out for her hands. She takes them and the two stand there quietly for a second.

         “ii….. ii already knew that the color 2ystem wa2 crap… but to actually fiinally REALLY hear iit ii2… a liittle overwhelmiing. Ii’m not really good at thii2 you know.”

         “I do know.” She leans forward and kisses her beloved softly. Sollux holds her hands tightly and kisses back. This is a dream come true…

         The crowd screams and whistles and some even pull the string on celebration poppers, little pieces of confetti flying in the air.

()

          “So. Did ya’ll hear her Majesty talking? Now that you’ve actually listened to her what do you motherfuckers think?”They’re all quiet still… The youngest one is sitting away from the group, nearer to Kloshe than anyone.

         All of the rebels are gathered up with their hands tied in front of them. Kloshe stands before them with Atori and Gamzee. It’s been a few hours since the speech and not a single person has said a word… Gamzee sits in front of them with his legs crossed.

         The youngest one speaks first.

         “I think… that we need more time maybe. I believe her Majesty is right. But I’m also scared to change. It all just feels so wrong… In the back of my head though I keep recalling what she said. That there was a war because one person wanted equality. That one person believed that what they were doing was right… but he was killed. I just don’t get it. Everything sounds so jumbled to me.”

         “That queen is LYING. She only wants to make herself look good! That mutant blooded freak wanted all the pissbloods and stuff to be on the same level as an indigo blood!” The older blue blooded man looks at the indigo trolls, searching for some help where he knew he’d find none.

         “And you Kloshe you fucking TRAITOR!! You can’t seriously agree with this—this CRAZY WOMAN!”

         Old Kloshe laughs a little and feels down his beard that’s grown.

         “Young man I’ve been around longer than you. Trust me when I tell you that I was one of the adults banned from Alternia to this place.” The young boy looks at Kloshe in surprise. He’d been working with him for a couple sweeps but he had no idea that he was part of that.

         “If you were around during that time then could you tell us what actually happened?”

         “There are a LOT of adults here who were taken from our homes. This is the place where we were all dumped. Go ask any one of the adults. But answer Gamzee here. Did anyone learn anything from what she had to say? There are 69 of you, one of you must have had a thought.”

         Everyone is silent…. Except for that first guy.

         “I learned that the new queen is full of shit.”

         “I think that YOU’RE full of shit.” The kid says. “I can see it now. I can see it pretty clearly. I may not understand all of what she said, but I did hear the part where she said it was a waste of time to sit there and hate people for no reason other than they’re different from you. It’s so stupid. No one of any other blood color has been mean to me. The only one that HAS been mean have been people of MY OWN BLOOD COLOR. It doesn’t matter what the fuck part of the spectrum you are, if you’re an asshole that’s just you being an asshole. And now that Feferi is queen that becomes YOUR problem. I can’t wait until she moves people like you to your own shitty part of the world where you can hate and hate until you fucking die.”

         Atori sighs.

         “It’s still the early stages of this transition. Once people settle down and see that Feferi really means them no harm, they’ll warm up I’m sure. However…”

         The sudden severity of his voice causes most of the trolls to look at him.

         “This is MY city… and right now these are my rules. Chebur.”

         In walks Chebur with narrow eyes. Everyone looks between her and Atori with question.

         “What are... you gonna do to us?” The young boy asks with obvious fear in his eyes. Gamzee stands up and stretches.

         “What I’d do if I were you motherfuckers, I’d hold still. I’m leavin’ this to you two.” Atori and Chebur nod. Gamzee leaves the lobby of the tent and Chebur rolls her shoulders around.

         “You can’t hide anything anymore. I will know everything before you can spell ‘fuck.’” The loudest troublemaker begins to say something, but chebur walks up to him and touches his head lightly with her fingers. She walks down the rows with her eyes glowing purple and touching everyone’s heads. Some pass out from the jolt of their minds being broken into…


	20. A final bout and a nice chat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah the last chapter. It's been a couple years since I started the beginning of this probably-too-long story. But now it's over. I hope you all enjoyed it!

          The real party has begun.

          Every troll of every color is hanging out inside and around the lobby of the highblood’s tent. They talk and laugh together, drink and sing. They tell tales of their past and have piles and piles of feels jams just ALL over the place.

          Feferi sits in a seat of honor. She insisted that it shouldn’t be anything spectacular, just a regular chair. Maybe a cushion… But Atori went all out got her a very nice pink chair that rocks back and forward. People come up to her and ask questions and sit around her just to be near her. She spots Gamzee come in through the red and yellow stripped flaps and walk over to his large horned red quadrant.

          The large troll attempts to sneak up to Tavros, but the people Tavros is talking to look just behind Tav’s shoulder and ruin the element of surprise. Tavros turns around and smiles.

          “gAMZEE THERE YOU ARE! i WAS LOOKING FOR YOU. i… i SAW YOUR HAND GET HURT ON THE TV AND I WANTED TO CHECK ON IT.” Tavros quickly looks down and carefully takes Gamzee’s left hand and looks at it closely. “yOU SHOULD GET HIS WRAPPED UP, YOU’RE GONNA GET BLOOD ALL OVER THE PLACE gAMZEE!”

          “Oh right, that shit. Yeah, stings like a motherfucker too.”

          “jEEZ gAMZEE, ALWAYS WORRYING ME LIKE THIS.”

          “Heh. Sorry Tav. But a little stab in the hand ain’t nothing. It woulda hit Fef in the face.”

          Tavros sighs a little and shifts Gam’s hand around to get a better look.

          “yEAH… I KNOW IT’S BEST THAT IT DIDN’T HIT HER BUT STILL. lET’S GO GET IT WRAPPED UP. eRIDAN AND aRADIA ARE GETTING THEIR CUTS AND STABS FIXED OVER THERE.” He leads Gamzee with his good hand over to the “booboo repair station” and sits his big doofus troll lover down.

          “Aw Tav, you don’t gotta fix me up.”

          “i WANT TO THOUGH. tHAT’S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW IT’LL GET DONE RIGHT.” He smiles up at Gamzee with beautiful rusty orange eyes and the indigo blood just mirrors the smile and nods.

          “Alright if you really want to.” Tavros begins to expertly clean and dress the wound while Gam just stares. God DAMN he loves this motherfucker.

          After the wound is wrapped up, Tavros stands up and leans over Gamzee. He wraps his arms around the larger troll’s neck and kisses him.

          “You feelin’ mushy my main motherfucker?” Gamzee rests his arms around Tav’s waist and looks up at him, getting another kiss.

          “yEAH. i’M FEELING MUSHY.”

()

          About ten feet away, Equius and Aradia are sitting together while Aradia’s minor scratches are inspected and patched.

          “Aw Equius, l00k at th0se tw0. I’m s0 glad they really g0t t0gether.”

          Equius looks down at Aradia with a rare skeptical gaze. “Did you think otherwise?? Those two have been pining for each other for sweeps. I remember making fun of Gamzee for feeling flushed for a lowblood.”

          “And here y0u are with me. Hehe.~ H0w d0 y0u feel n0w?” The maroon blood looks up at him with a sly but happy grin. Equius only shakes his head with the smallest hint of a smile   .

          “I gave up the spectrum system a long time ago. Although not soon enough. It was foolish for me to tease him so, when I already felt flushed for you sweeps ago… I guess I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was breaking the ‘rules.” The blue blood does air quotes, which Aradia slap away.

          “Now, obviously, I feel alright about everything. It was difficult at first to admit exactly who I was. But now I know. And I know that I’d do anything to protect the innocent, regardless of blood ranking.”

          Aradia smiles widely and hugs Equius around his waist from the side. “I l0ve y0u Equius.~” She says happily.

          Off a few more feet is Eridan and Kanaya. Eridan’s getting his thigh wrapped up by a medical troll while Kanaya sits next to him. The two stay quiet and think about what happened between them. It was quick and they’re still figuring out exactly what this relationship is going to be like or if it’s even official. Kanaya looks at Eridan’s leg getting wrapped up and can’t help but think about it. He got hurt saving her. It’s been a very long road but Eridan has been working hard to get rid of that old self of his. As a kid she didn’t really understand how he felt and she didn’t WANT to know how he felt. It was already confusing enough dealing with the meteor, and then the highblood killing her and the dead troll planet and everything else. That and he made himself look like a traitor because he knew that’d help get everyone out of this terrible cycle. He purposely played the bad guy even though he knew it’d upset everyone and give them cause to abandon him. He literally died so the cycle could break…. She can’t imagine having to go through all of that by herself.

          “Does It Hurt?” She asks quietly.

          “Yeah. But luckily it didn’t hit anything important. I can still wwalk wwithout lookin’ wweird.” Kanaya hums a little in response, silence returning.

          It takes a few more minutes after the medic leaves them alone for Eridan to speak.

          “You don’t have to pretend you knoww.”

          “Hm?” Eridan stares forward while Kanaya looks at him questioningly.

          “I wwas standing outside of the room this morning, listenin’. I didn’t mean to, I just happened to wwalk up wwhen you wwere all talking. I already knoww Fef is tryin’ to push us together so I stop thinking about her. Funny howw little she actually knowws.” Kanaya hardens her gaze.

          “If You Heard What We Were Saying Then You Must Have Heard What I Said As Well.” Eridan sorta looks at Kanaya from the side of his eye.

          “I Thought So. You Left Before You Heard Me Then. I Told Feferi And The Others That I Would Be The Only One To Make The Decision To Pursue A Red Relationship With You, Not Them. Feferi Did Mention She Wanted You To Be Happy Too Though You Know.”

          “I’vve heard as much. Evven wwhen I try to movve on wwith my life, she insists on bringin’ up the past and it just fucks me up. Doesn’t she fuckin’ understand that I don’t wwanna feel like shit either??”

          Kanaya looks up at Eridan a little more. She puts her hand lightly on top of his and then faces forward as well.

          “I Understand. She’s Different Than Us Eridan. She’ll Take Forever To Really Get On The Maturity Level Of Some. She’ll Live Longer So She Has All The Time In The World To Act Childish. Unlike Us Lower Bloods Who Have To Learn Quickly Before We Die.”

          “I’m a seadwweller too ya knoww….”

          “I Know, But You Know What I Mean. Either Way, I Can See How Much You’ve Matured. I Agree, The Past Should Remain The Past. You’ve Changed A Lot, It’s Clear. And… I Happen To Like It. AND Before You Find A Reason To Whine, I Don’t Think You’ve Changed       So Much That You’re No Longer YOU. We’ve All Grown Up And Learned So Much And Found Ourselves. Mostly Anyway.”

          Eridan is a little bit wary of Kanaya’s hand on top of his… This isn’t to say he doesn’t like it, but he’s trying to keep himself closed…

          “I Suppose What I’m Trying To Get At Is… Hmm…. You’re The Best You. Everyone Has Stages In Their Life That They Look Back On And Regret. They’d Change Anything Or Maybe EVERYTHING. But That’s Not How It Works. The Past Helps Us Become A Better Version Of Ourselves In The Present, And For The Future. You’ve Learned What Not To Do And Became Better For The Mistake. I Learned That I Needed To Keep My Rage In Check And Now I’m A Better Me Than I Was When I Was 3 Sweeps Old. I Think You’re Being Way Too Hard On Yourself For A Very Easy To Make Mistake Is All. See What I’m Saying?”

          She looks up at Eridan again and sees him staring at her. Eridan smiles a little then looks at his knees… He thumbs at Kanaya’s fingers lightly.

          “Yeah. I see wwhat you’re sayin’. No one’s evver really explained it that wway before. Or evven taken the time. You knoww, you’vve alwways been good at cheerin’ me up somehoww…. Thanks for talkin’ to me like a normal person.” He looks down and to the side at Kanaya and smiles. It’s a rare, true smile that Kanaya doesn’t remember seeing before… An Eridan that’s actually happy.

          “Y…You’re Welcome.” She nods and shifts her hand with Eridan’s so they interlock fingers.

          “So… Wwhat do you wwanna do about… this?”

          “This? Hm… Well I Noticed That I May Have Overstepped My Boundaries Earlier By Kissing You, But…. It Really Just Felt Right To Me. I Think What I’d Like To Do Is Pursue A Red Relationship With You.”

          “Are you SURE?” The purple blooded troll asks. “I REALLY don’t wwant you to regret sayin’ somethin’ like that.”

          “No No I’m Sure. I Don’t Think You’ll--….. Rather I Think You’re Smart Enough—Hmmm. I Trust You. Is What I Want To Say. And I Know This Is Probably Not Necessary To Say, But I’m Not Like Feferi. You Don’t Need To Treat Me Like Glass. If You Take A Misstep I’ll Let You Know But Not Be An Asshole About It. If You’re Ever Confused About Anything I Want You To Straight Up Talk To Me About It. Neither Of Us Will Take Anything Personally, Since It’s Unlikely That We’ll Speak To Each Other Like That. But Even If It Happens, Let’s Just TALK About It.”

          Eridan just stares at her with a smile, glad to see that she’s really seriously thinking about being red with him. Something he thought NO ONE would ever do.

          “You’vve changed a lot too you knoww. But into the best vversion of yourself. I think evven a feww swweeps ago I had an inkling of red feelin’s for you… And recently it occurred to me that maybe it wwasn’t just a faze or wwhatevver.” A pause.

          “Let’s be the best vversions of ourselvves together then. Slowwly though. I knoww you aren’t glass, but I ain’t fuckin’ up this time. Especially if you say you trust me.”

          “I Trust You.”

          The two squeeze their hands together and then sit in comfortable quietness and content smiles.

()

          The night of partying goes on well into the next day and the day after that.

          Finally when things settle down, the rainbow trolls begin to get a lot of questions about the actual fight. Or how they fight now.

          “Mister Karkat!” A young wiggler says. “It’s been sweeps since the fight happened, but I wanna know what your fighting skills are like now!” Karkat looks down at her earnest eyes and holds up his hands in surrender.

          “I HAVEN’T FOUGHT REALLY SINCE THAT LAST TIME. I’M NOT SURE I’D BE A WHOLE LOT OF HELP WITH THE REQUEST.” Nepeta takes his hand and swings it around with a big smile!

          “I’d LOVE to have a little spurring match Karkat! Let’s ask the others!”

          Karkat’s eyes go big and he shakes his head. “WHAT NO THIS ISN’T EVEN OUR CITY AND WHY SHOULD WE WHAT’S THE POINT EVEN???”

          “Fur FUNZIES obviously Karkat. Come on aren’t you curious about how the others have developed?” Nepeta wiggles Karkat’s hands around a little and she only gets a bored look in return.

          “NOT REALLY ACTUALLY. I’M PRETTY SURE I COULDN’T CARE LESS—“

          “Great let’s go get them!” Nepeta drags Karkat of with many protests leaving the young wiggler to watch the two walk off without actually answering her question. But if they DO have a sparring match then she’s excited to have been the one to initiate it!

()

          Vriska sits quite bored at a table and watches everyone go about their life, shakings hands with some trolls now and again who didn’t get to meet her at the party. She spots Karkat being dragged by Nepeta with the happiest face. Her eyebrow raises. Before she can wave the two over, Nepeta seems to be doing a beeline towards her and Sollux who is sitting by her.

          “Purriska!! Someone just gave me a purreat idea!!” Nepeta shouts still several feet away.

          “Oh yeah? Tell me what the idea is Nep.”

          “Don’t sound so uninpurrested! Karkat come on tell them!” Karkat stands up straight and brushes himself off.

          “SOME WIGGLER CAME UP TO US AND BASICALLY SAID SHE WANTED TO SEE US ALL FIGHT.”

          “Aw Karkat jeez don’t ruin it like that!” Nepeta sighs loudly and folds her arms. “They wanted to see us spar so we can show off our skills and stuff that we’ve learned over the last sweeps! And I wanna spar too! I wanna see how all my furrends have grown and see how strong they’ve all gotten!!!”

          Sollux looks over at Karkat and Nepeta and smirks a little.

          “A 2parriing match huh? 2ound2 iintere2tiing iif you a2k me. Remiind2 me of the old day2 when we’d practiice untiil super late.”

          “The cat puns are in excess today. She MUST 8e excited. Well I think it’ll 8e fun! Let’s go ask the others then.”

          “And Feferi two.”

          Karkat and Nepeta nod. Probably a good idea…

()

          Feferi is relaxing after a long night. But she hears Atori talking to someone at the front of the tent.

          “Let them in Atori.” Atori opens the front flaps of the gate and the 11 trolls file in.

          “Hey guys! What’s up?” Feferi sits up excitedly in her seat and Terezi comes up to her.

          “SOM3 K1D W4NTS TO S33 US SP4R. 4ND W3 4LL K1ND4 W4NN4. SO W3 W3R3 COM1NG TO S33 1F YOU W4NT3D TO JO1N US.”

          “Ooooh that sounds fun! Where could we even do that without hurting anyone or destroying anything?” The queen scratches her cheek a little when Gamzee waves his hand lazily.

          “We can go into the field outside the gates yo. And whoever wants to watch can fuckin’ watch from a ways off. How much destruction are we fuckin’ talk about here?” Gamzee laughs a little while Atori takes a step forward.

          “Anything that’s easily repairable Gamzee Makara...” Atori gives Gam a sardonic look while folding his arms. The bigger troll only laughs and waves the statement off.

“So you up to it sis?”

Feferi jumps to her feet and flexes her arms.

          “Hell yeah I’m up to it!” She smiles widely, showing off her many sharp teeth.

          The group of trolls all rush outside the city into the field of flowers and brandish their weapons. The city people begin to crowd by the entrance and cheer. All twelve trolls stand in a circle with excited grins on their faces.

          Karkat occasionally spins his crab claw looking hand scythes while Tavros stabs the end of his lance into the ground with an air of confidence that surprises everyone. Aradia simply grabs out her spiked whip and waits for the rush of battle to begin. Sollux just glances at his friends and decides that he’ll have to go easy on them all. He wouldn’t want to fry everyone to ash now would he? Nepeta bounces in place with her large claws out, her pupils tightening to a thin slit. She looks over at Kanaya whose hand is on her hip fiddling with the lipstick in her other hand, then over to Terezi who’s in a sort of samurai stance, a hand on her dragon head cane.

          “You guys better not go easy on me!” Feferi says, trident in both hands with a tall posture. Eridan stays quiet, thumbing at his wand that he’d kept hidden. He figures the wand is a better option for not destroying things compared to his rifle which would indeed make some dents.

          “You ain’t gotta worry about that sis. Ya’ll are gonna be lucky to keep fuckin’ standin’ when I’m done with you.” Gamzee slouches as usual with two white dangerously pointed clubs. He swings them back and forward lazily in each hand. Equius stands tall, fists at his sides as if he weren’t ready to fight at all. Vriska guffaws.

          “You say that like you’re actually going to win or something.” Vriska’s pointed grin is a tell-tale sign that she’s got something up her sleeves.

                “Is every0ne ready then?” Aradia rolls her neck a bit, cracking it in several places and then straightens her posture.

          “I HONESTLY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHY WE’RE TALKING.”

          With those words, Karkat jumps forward and swings his arms so hard he spins like a deadly slashing top. Nepeta screams and laughs as she jumps backwards. Two giant clubs swing around, giving Gamzee some room while those around him jump away. Eridan had jumped back and he points his wand at the indigo troll. White magic pours out of it in a sort of beam, but it’s blocked by red and black eyebeams. Sollux grins as he floats up into the air and goes to zap Vriska who rolls away and swings her sword at Equius’ back. The blue troll easily grabs her sword much to Vriska’s surprise, and he yanks it from her hands and kicks her in the stomach. She slams into Eridan who’s firing another shot, but at Sollux this time. For old time’s sake of course. Kanaya clicks her lipstick and it turns into a giant spear. She swings up from the ground, causing dust to fly around her dangerously and catches Feferi’s arm when the queen dives from the air. Feferi swings her trident up and her and Kanaya clash evenly. The tyrant blooded troll grins ferociously and stares hard into Kanaya’s eyes. The two seem to have a quick and quiet conversation. But Kanaya will have none of this. She pushes hard on Feferi’s trident and knocks her away, swinging her whole body around 360 degrees and switches her spear to a fat broadsword.

          The swing is blocked though by Karkat’s claw scythe. He can’t stop a small grin from forming as he looks up at Kanaya. The Jade blood just looks down her nose at Karkat and manages her own smile.

          “You Always Did Want To Be A Theshcutioner Didn’t You Karkat?” Kanaya says while jumping back a few feet. Karkat just stands up and dodges a stab from Feferi’s trident.

          “YEAH WELL I’M STARTING TO THINK I COULDA BEEN A LAUGHSASSIN INSTEAD.” Feferi laughs at Karkat and then cartwheels to the side, avoiding a spiked club.

          “Bro you’re WAY too fuckin’ loud to be a laughsassin.” Gamzee grins until he feels a spikey rope around his feet, which are pulled from under him.

          “Talking just may get y0u killed! Pay attenti0n!” Aradia is yanking her whip tightly, and even though she manages to get Gamzee off his feet, the big troll lands on his back and quickly swings his legs upward, tearing Aradia from the ground and flinging her into the air. She just laughs and pulls her legs to her chest into a ball and just as she’s about to land she unfolds herself and stabs into the ground two large machete knifes of either side of Gamzee’s head.

          “When the hell did you get those sis?”

          “I’ve always had these. N0 0ne ever n0ticed th0ugh.. W00PS!” Aradia ducks her head quickly just before a lance pierces the side of her head.

          “Hey, are y0u actually trying t0 kill me?” The maroon woman asks rather lax. Tavros just pulls his lance back and swings it behind him, to push away some red and blue beams.

          “nAH, i KNEW YOU’D DODGE.” The long horned troll spins around and catches Nepeta in the face as she jumps to tackle him.

          “Gah dang!” Nepeta holds her now bleeding nose and then laughs.

          “wHOOPS, SORRY NEPETA. i GUESS THAT’S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO SNEAK UP ON ME! i KNEW THESE HORNS WOULD BE GOOD FOR FIGHTING SOMEDAY.”

          Eridan sends a beam of magic in the center of that group and the ground explodes, sending all of them flying. Petals from the flowers at their feet explode all over the place too. From the petals and smoke flies Feferi. She throws her trident at Eridan with all her might, but the wand wielding troll grabs that shit right outta the air and throws it back. Vriska tackles Feferi the old fashioned way before the trident hits her, but it does catch Sollux’s leg and cuts it. They psionic hardly notices though since he’s dealing with Equius. The blue muscly troll gets a running start and with all his strength breaks the ground so hard a large chunk of the ground lifts up and sends Sollux flying. Kakrat gets caught up in the quake but he’s able to roll away. Terezi thrusts her cane sword forward just missing Karkat’s head.

          “YOU KNOW IF YOU COULDN’T SMELL ME I’M PRETTY SURE I WOULDA LOST AN EYE JUST NOW.”

          “4W 1 TH1NK YOU’D LOOK OK4Y W1TH JUST ON3 3Y3.” Terezi smirks and swings her sword at Karkat who blocks with his scythe and uses his free crab claw to swipe at her. She jumps away, but quickly darts forward again. Karkat rushes forward and the two slam into each other with their weapons grinding and sparking.

          “YOU KNOW, THIS IS SORTA FUN.”

          “GL4D YOU’R3 H4V1NG FUN C4NDY BOY. WHO DO YOU TH1NK 1S GONN4 W1N?”

          “WIN?” Karkat chuckles and swings his supporting leg forward and kicks Terezi’s back leg, forcing her to one knee. He pushes his weapons down on her sword but she still manages to hold him off even though Karkat’s got leverage now.

          “I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT /WINNING/ REALLY. EVERYONE HERE IS SO FUCKING STUBBORN THAT I THINK IT’LL END IN A DRAW OR SOME SHIT. EITHER THAT OR GAMZEE OR FEFERI WILL LOSE THEIR MINDS AND GO ALL HIGH BLOOD ON OUR ASSES.”

          Terezi laughs and manages to push herself up to her feet. Karkat grunts, having not realized how god damn strong Terezi was. Underestimating her strength is something he regrets immediately. For she head butts him and then knees him in the stomach. Karkat chokes on his own air and doubles over, nearly to his knees.

          “YOU’D B3TT3R NOT B3 HOLD1NG B4CK K4RK4T V4NT4S.” She says with a serious tone. Karkat just coughs a little and spits to the side.

          “YEAH RIGHT. YOU JUST CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD IS ALL.”

          “W3LL DON’T L3T 1T H4PP3N 4G41N. N3XT T1M3 1T M1GHT NOT B3 M3 YOU F1GHT 4G41NST.”

          “I DON’T NEED YOU TO TELL ME THAT.” Karkat runs forward an just as Terezi thrusts her sword forward, he uses his shortness and ducks quickly and then smashes his head into the teal bloods ribs. He knocks her back onto the ground and she hacks. Karkat chuckles a little.

          “IT MIGHT NOT BE ME YOU FIGHT AGAINST NEXT TIME. BETTER PAY ATTENTION HUH?” Terezi can hear the sneer in his voice. Before either can say another word though, Gamzee smashes into the ground between them breaking the earth. Karkat gasps a little, and looks up to see who could possibly throw—

          “i WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU TWO DISAPPEARED TO!” Tavros is falling out of the air and lands hard on his boots. Terezi and Karkat both look at him (or at least in his general direction) with surprise.

          Gamzee rolls over onto his side with a groan. But he slips out a chuckle and gets to his feet. “That fuckin’ hurt Tav.”

          “aRE YOU GONNA CRY ABOUT IT?”

          “Nah, I’m just gonna kick your ass.”

          “wHY DON’T YOU KISS IT INSTEAD?” Gamzee reaches back and grabs Terezi by the arm and throws her at Tavros like a god damn spear. Which really wouldn’t be too far off considering her horns are straight. Tavros just catches her and then throws her off somewhere else.

          “1 4M /NOT/ 4 S4CK OF 34RTH SPUDS!!” She yells as she disappears into another fighting group.

 

          Off in the distance the town watches and they scream and cheer for their favorites, or for whoever may look like they’re kicking the most ass as the moment. This is truly a sight for them to see! The slayers of the former queen are here showing off their skills! And most of the townfolk can clearly see that the twelve are not using 100% of their skills. Which makes this all the more impressive because some of these maneuvers look like contortionism and magic all at once. The people are also a bit surprised that they’re all ACTUALLY hurting each other considering they’re all friends. But perhaps it’s BECAUSE they’re friends that none of them really mind getting hurt. Everyone knows it isn’t out of malice. This, in reality, is playtime to the twelve. And for some this is frightening and wonderful.

           The fight rages on for nearly two hours before everyone gets tired. Well, everyone but Sollux. He just stands and puts his hands in his pockets, red and blue cuffs appearing on everyone’s wrists and legs. The other eleven trolls are lifted into the air and suspended there.

          “ii’ve notiiced that hangiing back 2eem2 two bee a good 2trategii. Tiire everyone out and then trap them.”

          “Who Are You Talking To Sollux?” Kanaya says through heavy breaths. Aradia on the other hand laughs and leans her head back.

          “He’s right y0u kn0w. L00ks like S0llux wins this 0ne.”

          “Awwww whaaa?? I wanted to win!” Nepeta whines as she struggles fruitlessly in the psionic binding.

          “You can’t win them all Nepeta. We’re gonna have to work harder if we want to win next time right?” Vriska sighs a little, a teeny bit glad the fight is over. Back in the day all of them trained really hard until the final fight. And she can’t help but notice that Sollux did win most of those fights with his psionics. Damn him.

          Sollux slowly sets everyone down and pretty much everyone collapses onto their rumps and breaths.

          “I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU ASSHOLES, BUT I SUBMIT. TRUCE! UNCLE!” Karkat says and flops onto his back waving one arm in surrender. Eridan chuckles and sighs.

          “2ay Eriidan, you kept a wand?”

          “Hm? Oh no this is quite new. I thought I’d test it out. And it wworks wwonderfully I have to say.”

          “tEST IT OUT?? yOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT WAS CAPABLE OF BEFORE YOU…”

          Tavros squints at Eridan in slight disbelief but only gets a smirk and a shrug in return. “yOU ARE ACTUALLY UNBELIEVABLE ERIDAN.”

          “I knoww.” Equius is ready to say that that wasn’t a compliment, but he digresses and shushses his mouth. Off to the side he can hear cheering and yelling.

          “I just noticed we never actually told anyone we were going to be fighting. We just came out and started.” Equius says.

          Feferi stares at the crowed… and groans, also flopping on her back. She stares at the sky and smiles. She never thought in her whole life that things would be this great.

          “I had a lot of fun everyone. We should get together every few sweeps and do this so we don’t get rusty!”

          “We should TOTALLY make a tournament outta this.” Vriska sits up quickly with her suddenly amazing idea. The others look at her and contemplate. That’s… actually not a bad idea.

          “That Could Be Interesting. I’m In If You All Are.”

          “Even Kanaya. I’m motherfuckin IN! Oh yeah Tav bro, I’ll take you up on that ass kissing offer.” Some trolls say ew and some laugh. Tavros blushes orange all the way to his pointed ears.

()

          Later on after everyone gets RE-patched up (to the doctors irritation of course) Feferi sits on the tallest building and stares down at the town. She really takes it all in. Even though she’s been queen for several sweeps now, it’s still strange to think that she… RULES all of this. But is RULE even the right word?...

          Behind her Eridan comes up from the stair well.

          “Oh? Fef wwhat are ya doin’ up here?” Feferi turns around at the sound of Eridan’s voice. She smiles sweetly at him.

          “Hey there Eridan. I was just thinking about stuff… How about you? Did you really walk all the way up those stairs instead of just jumping up here?”

          “Hmph. Some of us don’t havve wwater powwers. You didn’t jump up here you liar.” The two chuckle and Eridan walks over to her. He doesn’t sit though. He stands next to her and puts his hands in his pockets.

          “I just came up here to get some space I guess. Too many people if you ask me.”

          “Yeah there are a lot of people who want to talk to us and stuff. It’s hard……. Hey Eridan? Can I talk to you?” Eridan normally would look down at her in surprise. But tonight he does it inwardly. Huh. She wants to talk to him.

          “Sure, wwhat’s up?” Many long seconds of silence permeate the air. The purple troll nearly says something when he sees Feferi’s horns move downward. He looks down at her and sees a very old but still familiar look on her face. Sadness.

          “I’m scared Eridan.”

          “Scared??”

          “Yeah… Being a queen is really hard. I know I talked a big game a few days ago on the TV and radios and stuff… but I’m really really REALLY scared.”

          Eridan stares at her…. Then sighs and looks forward, sitting down and dangles his feet over the edge.

          “Wwhat exactly are you scared about?” Another moment of silence.

          “I’m… I’m scared that I’ll end up not being good enough. That I’ll fail in the end and everyone will hate me and……. I’m scared to end up an angry bitter sea bitch. I don’t want to be her Eridan. It’s in my blood and more than anything I don’t want that.”

          Feferi pulls her legs to her chest and she rests her chin on her knees. This looks very familiar to Eridan…

          “Hey, turn to the side.” He says. Feferi remembers suddenly and she pulls a tiny smile. She gets her legs back onto the building and she folds them. Eridan does the same and he begins to run his fingers down her hair and starts braiding sections.

          “So you’re scared to fail and you’re scared to become an old sea hag. Wwell why do you think either of those wwould happen?”

          “Well……. I don’t like talking about it much but…. I’m gonna live longer than everyone. And I’m scared of that too.”

          Eridan finishes one section of braiding and begins a next.

          “Everyone I love is going to die and eventually I’m going to be all alone… Karkat, Tavros…. Sollux…. Oh Eridan I’m so scared of Sollux dying…. And I can picture what the Condesce did to the Psiioniic. She kept him alive for a long time, but only because he was powering her ship. And obviously I won’t do that. But I’m so scared to lose him…”

          “That is scary.”

          “And I wonder if maybe the Condesce went through something similar with all of her friends. Did she have friends at all? Were they friends for a long time and she finally started understanding when everyone began dying that she couldn’t have friends? She couldn’t open her heart up to anyone else because she knew it’d hurt, and because of that she became really mean?”

          “Fef…. I knoww howw you feel… I mean, in reality I ain’t gonna livve as long as you either. But I’m still gonna be here longer than the others wwill be. I’m scared of losin’ evveryone too. But…. Even wwhen evveryone is gone, I knoww you wwon’t end up like the Condesce.”

          “How can you know that though?”

          “Because I’vve knowwn you forevver Fef and… I mean I like to think I knoww SOME things about you. The Condesce was a messed up bitch from the start Fef. And I guess in a way I pity her for it. And not pity in any quadrant way. Just in that she was a sad sight and all. She wwas raised different from you and I Fef. She was spoiled rotten and nevver evver had any strife or wwant for anything. Anything she wwanted she got THAT second. If she didn’t get her wway then it’d be like her wworld wwas crashin’ down. She lead a vvery different life than you. You aren’t her. And you knoww wwhat? I think someday wwhen all of us are gone, you’ll havve a new group of friends. And you’ll look back on your first group fondly.”

          “You are super not helpful. I… I’ve never lost someone REALLY before. I thought I knew what it felt like when Aradia and Kanaya and Vriska were all killed when we were on the meteor and the grand highblood landed on it. And when towards the end there and Gamzee… I thought he was going to die too. God we were so young back then…. I thought that’s what loss felt like. But then we saw them on the dead troll planet and it was like it was all better again. We met the ancestors and they were all very sweet and kind to us. I mean, mostly anyway. No offense.”     

          “None taken.” Four more sections have been braided

          “But then they were also taken away right before our eyes. Seriously double death? I thought THEN that that’s what loss felt like. But… I mean I liked them and all and we were friends. But it’s not the same. Because now we’ve gone through the preparation of killing the sea hag. And we won. We did it. I thought I’d lose you guys THERE too. But everyone pulled through like a miracle. I’ve been spoiled too. None of my friends have really been taken from me permanently. Imagining my life without even one of our friends…… It utterly terrifies me. What am I gonna do when Karkat dies? Sweet Karkat…. Or Gamzee. That big lovable ‘brother’ type who was actually a weird source of guidance for me will be gone, what do I do then? What do I do when I lose Sollux?? What…. am I going to do when I lose YOU Eridan?” As Feferi speaks, she gets more and more upset and she can feel tears stinging her eyes. Every friend disappearing in her mind brings her tears out more and more until she’s quietly sobbing. Imagining her friends getting old and dying…

          “Well Fef…. I knoww you don’t deal wwith tough lovve vvery wwell… but can I givve it anywway?”

          “Yeah….” Feferi wipes her eyes hard with her arms and hands.

          “Wwhen wwe all die, you’re going to get ovver it. You’re not a child anymore. And you wwon’t be a child forevver evven if it seems like it. You’re going to experience loss, and it’s going to hurt and it’s going to be scary. But because you’ll havve gone through it, you’ll knoww howw to deal wwith it dowwn the line. That doesn’t mean you’ll become a huge raging bitch either. You wwon’t be numb to the pain of loss but you’ll knoww better howw to deal wwith it so it doesn’t hurt you. Us elevven are not the only trolls in existence. I knoww you’ll make a lot of neww friends. And you can’t be scared of that.”

          “I don’t want to REPLACE you guys though!”

          “You wwon’t be replacing us. Obvviously, no one can replace us. And evven your neww friends wwon’t be just back up or fallback plans. They’ll be neww friends that you’ll learn new things from. You’ll get attached to them and then in time they’ll die too… I’m not sorry if I sound mean either. I’m telling you the truth. I don’t like it any more than you do. I have to accept that someday Kanaya wwill die. I’m gonna be really sad wwhen she goes. I’m gonna be sad when Vvris dies. But I knoww that if I’m going to stay sane that I’ll have to havve my mourning and grieving time, and then movve on.”

          Feferi stays quiet….

          “Did I…… psh. Of course I did.”

          “I learned a little too late to be honest. You wweren’t interested and my stupid kid brain couldn’t fuckin’ grasp that I wwasn’t wwanted by you. Evventually though I learned to movve on. I lost you a long long time ago and I had to learn to deal wwith it. I accept it and I don’t blame you or resent you or anything. It’s in the past. And wwe’ll be in the past too. But maybe you can think this wway. Wwhen wwe all die, maybe wwe’ll end up on another dead troll planet somewwhere. Or in a dream bubble or some other garbage.”

          A small breathy laugh from Feferi.

          “Yeah… I think at least that. For now anyway. The planet of dead trolls…”

          “You’re a strong person Feferi. I knoww that no matter wwhat happens to us, you’ll be a good person and stay a good person…. Aaaand if you end up being a crazy sea bitch, wwe’ll just havve to haunt you somehoww and make you change your wways.” Eridan finishes braiding her hair and then tickles her sides. She laughs and flops around onto her side to escape until she’s finally out of reach. She looks up at Eridan who has a rather content smile on his face and finds that to be a new expression…

          He’s so much more mature than her…She knows it. She sees it and feels it. Eridan has gone through a lot more than she has. And most of it was her fault.  Feferi is still immature enough that she has to create a sort of false hope that her dead friends will still BE in some form on a dead troll planet instead of just accepting that her friends will be dead. Because of her own immaturity she…. Feferi wonders who else she may have hurt that way.

          The queen sits up and scoots to the edge of the building again next to Eridan.

          “I’m sorry… about all of this. I’m… I’m such an idiot… I’m a big baby…”

          “No you’re not. It’s normal to be scared and sad about the evventual loss and death of evveryone you care about. That’s howw life wworks. It’s totally normal to be sad and scared. Don’t beat yourself up ovver havving natural thoughts. Wwhen the time comes you’ll go through the stages just like evveryone else. I’m not entirely sure howw long you’re going to livve, but I guess right noww you’re still young.”

          “Makes me wonder if you’re maturity level means you’re an old man now. Dang I’m gonna lose you faster than I thought.” She lets out a tiny giggle. Eridan looks at her from the corner of his eye.

          “I guess… I just really wanted to get it off my chest. I had to talk about it and talk through it. Is it…. Is it okay for me to be selfish enough to ask you if we can have talks like this now and again?”

          “I’m glad I havve the honor of being the Queen’s counselor. Yes wwe can havve as many talks as you wwant. But don’t expect me to be nice about them. Sollux may sugar coat things for you, but I’m not gonna do that. I’m gonna put hot sauce on that shit.” Feferi giggles again and nods.

          “That’s fine. I’m grateful that you let me vent at you in the first place… Anyway now that that’s one iron out of the fire, tell me about you and Kanaya.”

          “Oh my god you are a gossip queen Feferi.”

          “Aw come on tell me!”

          “Nope.”

          “Boooo!”

()

END


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